[Zack Ryan]

Blue stepped up next to Alberta and Gladstone, on Alberta's left and watched the chained woman and the maid Susan. There was a gleam in Susan's eyes as she slapped the other woman, but the plumpish lady held her ground and just smiled defiently.

Miss Tawny did what she thought she did best, entice. She adjusted the neckline of her dress, and stepped around the three others, walking slowly up to the male Holbrook. He looked at her, snorted and laughed, "Not today jackass." Turning to the maid, he says with just a hint of annoyence, "Susan, leave her be and dispose of this thing. Take her out back and tie her up to a tree." Susan took Miss Tawny's arm and pulled her out of the room. They all heard Tawny's voice non-stop until there was a decidedly vicious growling, followed by a loud scream.

Holbrook smiled because Blue did, at the sound of the scream. "Enjoy that did you Blue?"

Blue looked at him and said, "Yes, as a matter of fact. I trust him about as much as I trust you." Blue then did something not expected, he took a step forward and to his right, standing in front of Albeta and at Gladstone's shoulder. Holbrook laughed and said, when he stopped, "Relax Blue, none of you, except her, are in any danger. If anything happens to them, or you, or even Maurice it will screw everything up."

He stopped then, all of them hearing the clicking of a dogs claws on the wooden floor, turning to the soft footfall of a slipper. Through the door came Susan, followed closely by Tawny, smiling and unharmed. Blue almost couldn't contain himself, but Susan issued a growl from so far deep down in her body that Blue wondered how she didn't harm herself. He stopped though, and waited.

Gladstone looked at Holbrook and said, "Allright, you have our attention, what the hell do you want?"

Holbrook gestured for them to sit, told Susan to bring brandy and 4 glasses and then to leave them alone. When she had left, Holbrook sat quietly, staring at them and began to speak.

[Holbrook]

“It’s all a matter of getting things balanced again,” Holbrook said softly.

“Balanced,” Alberta asked her eyes narrowing.

“Yes, my dear, and may I say you look utterly delightful as you now are. And as for you “Gladstone.” I am sure you would prefer to be Scarlett again. I know I would prefer that.” Holbrook continued. “Look go rest while I deal with Cat Nip over there.

“Cat Nip, doesn’t look like? “Alberta took a few steps closer to the plumpish woman. “She in fact looks like an older version of….”

“Very clever, she nearly succeeded in killing me and taking everything. How better to do that than by making herself look like my female self, which alas is lost for good I fear. It has taken me a while to get things together and as far as I am concerned I what I am now. We just need to get the rest safe don’t you agree.”

“You can say that again,” Gladstone remarked…”But how can we….

“Just trust me.”

“Don’t” The plumpish woman bellowed fighting the chains. “Damn liar…. Damn twisted son of a … ”

“You should know shouldn’t you?” Holbrook hissed as he turned on the woman

[Zack Ryan]

Blue stepped forward as Holbrook went to the older woman and slapped her, then again. Blue looked at Gladstone and Gladstone shook his head no. Blue glared at him and then realized it would serve no purpose.

Both of them knew, as Alberta knew, this couldn't be the real Holbrook. He could be many things, but never what they were seeing in front of them now. He turned back to them and said, "You see, she is trying to convince you that she is someone else, someone we both know and respect, but someone that is not here."

Alberta said, almost inaudibly, "Leave us, let us speak together without you here. Let us speak to this woman with no one but us present." Holbrook looked at her and said jovially, Albert, do what you must, but you will decide eventually that I am right." And he left the room to the four of them.

[Holbrook]

Alberta stepped forward and touched the brusied cheek of the woman. She shuddered and brought her green eyes up and locked them on Alberta's. Alberta shuddered in return. "Who are you? She asked seeking an answer for all of them.

"I am me, most of me." The woman replied.

"That's not an answer.." Blue huffed.

"It is all that is important. I know I am me, most of me the rest is...."

"Who is that?" Gladstone asked sharply, he was Scarlett after all and could cut through to the heart of the matter in seconds.

"Holbrook," The woman whispered.

"Nooooooooooo... "Alberta said looking round at the faces of the others.

"Oh, yes that's Holbrook. You have never seen that Holbrook before, but it exists now, here and wants to continue too, don't blame it I want too as well... thing is......"

"What thing " Gladstone was tapping his foot, it was plain he had enough of everything.

"Ask him, ask him anything you like about you and he will answer it the same as the real Holbrook. So there you have it. You need to choose between helping me, who merely looks a bit like Holbrook or rather what Holbrook might look like if Holbrook grew old for some reason and him. Who looks like the Holbrook you know and knows the things your Holbrook knows right down to the fact that you, Scarlett or rather Gladstone have rather nice dimples on your cheeks."

"Do you? "Alberta asked.

Blue stapped his head and Maurice sighed.

[Zack Ryan]

Blue turned to Gladstone and asked, "Do you have dimples on your butt, when you are Scarlett?"

Gladstone shook his head yes, then blushed just slightly. Blue turned to the others and said, "She's Holbrook. No doubt in my mind, what about the rest of you?"

Maurice agreed with Blue, but usually did. Alberta thought very hard, then took Gladstone by the hand and pulled him into the other room.

A few minutes later Alberta and Gladstone came back into the room and Alberta said to all, "She's Holbrook, but so is the other one. Our problem is that they are both Holbrook, but we have no idea which is the one we know and love and which one is the other one."

Blue realized that there might be a good way and called the other Holbrook back into the room. They asked the male Holbrook to stand by the other one and he did reluctantly.

Then he left the room and came back, yanking on a leash, leading Susan back into the room with her head covered. Before anyone even realized it, Blue yanked off the hood and the dog ran to the male Holbrook, it's tongue hanging out and begging.

Blue had told Susan only that he was going to bring her into the room and her master had a thick steak for her. She ran for her master and the decision was made for the other four.

As soon as they had decided which Holbrook they were going to go with as a group, the room began to shimmer once again.

[Holbrook]

Blue and Maurice

As soon as they had decided which Holbrook they were going to go with as a group, the room began to shimmer once again.

It shimmered all right, then it exploded fragments shattered, scattered, plunged through time and space and as the four fell then began to chance. Flick, flack, flick, flack.

Blue found himself sitting in the middle of the large white-topped scrubbed table in the kitchen of Holbrook House, the House he knew and loved. He could here voices’ calling, laughing and the sound of curses coming from the hall. He smiled.

Maurice coughed. Blue looked round but could not see him. The cough came again. From above. Blue looked up and his mouth dropped open. “Don’t just sit there, get me down.” Maurice, in his animal form was hanging by all eight legs from the gas lamps in the ceiling, high above.

“Yes, right, will do. But where are the others and where is Holbrook and…”

“Just get me down first Blue”

“Ok… Some one get me a ladder! Now” Blue bellowed.

[Holbrook]

Albert

Albert/Alberta felt Gladstone/Scarlett’s torn from his/her’s. His/hers. Boobs and no boobs, bits there, then bits gone. Hair here today, gone tomorrow. The stubble moving from the chin to other places and back again. I am going insane Albert’s mind roared as his/her voice shouted “What is happening? Where am I going and Scarleeeeeeeeeeetttttttttttttt, my lady in red.............. I miss you sooooooooooooooooo. Holllllllllllbrrrrrrrrrooooooook damn you to hell where are you? ”

“Someone said something about a witness protection scheme?” A voice Albert knew said as Albert felt his tail picked up by a finger and thumb. Tail? He was a mouse again? He was also soaking wet. Albert licked his lips. Martini! Albert’s vision cleared and he was looking through the misted sides of the half full but never half empty martini pitcher. He swung himself up and settled himself on HE’s hand.

“HE?” Albert said.

“I think you have drank too much, again. Maybe you should try using a glass next time instead of diving in head first.”

“I didn’t” Albert spluttered and shook the martini out of his coat. HE ignored what Albert said and continued as if it were just another day in Sheepie's den of vice.

“Waste of good martini that, you should have licked yourself clean.”

“Do you do that?” Albert retorted As he tried to make sense of what had happened. His mind was fuzzy, but he was sure it wasn't the martini.

“Never bathed in martini.” Came HE’s reply as his eyes twinkled at the thought of a large bath full of the liquid before an open fire.

It was then Albert noticed a set of keys on the table next to the pitcher. His bead like eyes narrowed, as he tried to put 2 and 234,346,760 together. “Them are the Morgan’s keys.”

“Why so they are?” HE replied and softly smiled.


to be continued

[Hereford Eye]

Since you have way too much martini in your pelt and I have insufficient martini in my belly, I shall drive.
Albert's nose wrinkles in reply, disdain or disgust, hard to choose. He does not protest, though, and we two head for the morgan.
"Albert, old mouse, explain something to me, please."
"Yes?"
"Why is it that we refer to the car as the morgan? Should it not be granted the respect and dignity of a proper name? Should we not say Morgan?"
"Damned Colonists, always trying to reduce things to rules. Have you no sense of the dramatic, the attachment to fine engineering, the love of autos?"
"Now, wait a minute, old mouse. We have been driving gas guzzlers way longer than anybody else in the world."
"Yes, but fine automobiles? Mazerotti, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar......morgan?"
"Well, we had the Shelby Mustang and have always had the Corvette."
"My point precisely."
"Your haughtiness is a bit overstated, old mouse."
"Where are we off to, might one inquire?"
"To find the ladies?"
"Plural?"
"Are we not plural?"
"Oh, I assumed you meant specific ladies."
"Assumptions, old mouse! They are the mother, you know?
'I believe it was the first acronym worth recording, first noted in the Urian Chronicles, later toned down and incorporated in the Vedas. The term, I believe, is SNAFU."
"Yes, old mouse, asssumption is the mother of SNAFU."
"So, are we seeking anyone I know?"
"Old mouse, you must put aside this western logic you insist on invoking. We are seeking the women the universe believes it is appropriate we meet. Let it come to you, Albert. Don't force it. Remember the biblical injunction: seek and something will find you."
"That is not what the bible says."
"Close enough, old mouse. Close enough."

[Holbrook]

Holbrook House

Blue bellowed again. No reply, but a lot of muttering and shuffling of feet from out side the door.

"Typical"

"You are not leaving me....."Maurice's voice was cut off by the slamming of the door. Blue stormed down the passage until he reached the study. Whoa! he thought, massive deja-vu.

There in the hall stood most of the household. Holbrook's rapier was stuck in the wooden floor slightly vibrating. This time it wasn't bent or burnt and more importantly no spreading blood stain lay on the floor. The blade had a letter threaded through it.

"Where is Albert and Scarlett?"

"Who? Scarlett? I know no such person, "Edith huffed. "And Albert, well he hasn't been here for I don't know how long. Not since that time with the chorus from the Follies." The rest nodded, and giggled.

Blue frowned. Time it seemed had spun backwards, but it was different. He reached out and pulled the blade for the floor. It came away with a soft metallic sigh. He pulled off the missive and opened it.

Blue's eyes widened and he whistled through his teeth. "By heck.. we have incoming. "Were did you put that trunk of tin hats Edith?"

[Holbrook]

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean (warning! This has a “Dynasty” rating lol…;) )


The water droplet rolled down the tall ice-cold glass of liquid and fell slowly through the crystal clear air. It landed with a soft plop on the bronzed, well-toned stomach and ran under the ruby encrusted navel stud into the shallow hole of flesh.

“That wasn’t nice.” Scarlett purred as she lifted her sunglasses and looked at the gentleman holding her drink.

“I know,” Holbrook replied. Scarlett laughed and sat up. Holding the unfastened crimson bikini top to her ample shape as she did so.

Holbrook handed her the glass and leant over and re-clasped the garment. “Thank you darlllling.” Scarlett breathed in a good imitation of a Za Za Gabor accent.

“My pleasure. “Holbrook said as he dropped a kiss on her sun-warmed right shoulder.

“And mine.” Scarlett held the cold glass to Holbrook’s scarred cheek and blew him a kiss adding. “Does that make you shudder?”

“You always do” Holbrook replied. And stood. The ocean breeze tugged at his open shirt, slapping the light cream linen against his firm chest. He opened his hand and Scarlett took it, allowing herself to be helped to her feet. As she neared the apex of her graceful ascension the 50 ft sleek white ocean-going yacht tilted to port. The crew scrambled and swiftly brought the craft back on an even keel. The vessel was making good speed.

“This is wonderful,” Scarlett breathed as she fell gently against Holbrook and raised her right leg, wrapping it round him for support.

“I knew you would like it.” Holbrook replied as he swept Scarlett’s mass of red hair from his face.

“Much better since we ditched the rat,”

“Much better,” Holbrook agreed.

“Everything is wonderful.” But deep inside Scarlett a very weak, small voice was crying….. This is not right! This is very wrong! This is not Holbrook! This is not you!