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

[The Story so far: Taking refuge from numerous adversities, Viola and her grandfather go to live in an ancient cottage not far from Blemnox, the family’s ancestral home. Every old house should have a secret tunnel in the basement, and this house is no exception]

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“So this is a secret tunnel,” Viola said.

“Yes,” Grandpa confirmed. “You and I are the only ones who know about it.”

Suddenly Viola saw someone running about sixty feet down the tunnel. “Who are you?” she called out..

The man who was there turned and recognized her. “Viola?” he exclaimed. “I didn’t expect to find you here.”

“It’s Blake, my husband,” Viola told Grandpa as she hurried to meet him. “I came here because my parents are missing and our house was destroyed by space debris. What I’d like to know is why *you* are here?”

“I thought this was the one secret hiding place that no one else knew about,” he explained.

“Except for the people I play poker with,” said Grandpa.

They could hear distant voices. The voices turned out to belong to people on a guided tour of the underground railroad. “And anybody who Googles ‘Underground railroad’” added Blake.

“And the Girl Scouts of America, and the Hare Krishnas,” Viola said, nodding toward a bald man in white robes and little girl with cookie boxes..

Two men in conservative business suits entered the tunnel. One was wearing dark sunglasses. He spoke first: “Hello. I am from NASA. I’m looking for the father of Melbourne Blemnox IV.”

“That would be me,” Grandpa said.

“I have good news and bad news, sir,” the man said. “The good news is that your son’s rocket ship discovered an asteroid that was not previously known to science.”

“What is the bad news?” Grandpa asked

“The bad news is that he died on impact.”

Then the other man spoke: “Fortunately, all I have is good news: Melbourne was insured, and his beneficiaries were his father” he nodded toward Grandpa, “and his daughter Viola.”

The insurance settlement was enough to get Blemnox out of hock. Viola turned to Blake to share the good news, but her elusive husband had vanished again.

Hare Krishna, those are good news - well, some of them...

Deb

Viola's mother is still missing in action, but who knows when she might pop up?

F S

[Amy P]

"Viola's mother is still missing in action, but who knows when she might pop up? "

I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.

Putting off going crazy until tomorrow sounds like a good plan to me.