A warm breeze gently passes through the city of Paris, squalling here and there in the gardens of the wealthy, famous and fortunate. The sun peers down from its heavenly loft as mid-afternoon creeps slowly by. A gentle tune is hummed softly and floats about the air. Here, leaning over a well-tended garden, is a young Lectrice. She is examining the plants which bear delectable vegetables, and selecting a few here and there which have reached their supreme ripeness.
   The good Lectrice talks to herself, as one is apt to do in a beautiful garden on a sunny day, "Such a lovely day for a feast!" she exclaims. She is preparing the food for a most delightful feast. As she finishes up in the garden, she returns to the kitchen and begins her preparation.
   Lectrice Eliaya has been planning this dinner party for weeks. She was commissioned to hold a dinner for ArchDuc Corenth, La Truite Nerveuse and his lovely wife, Gueanor. It was to be quite a spread, with music and dancing and, of course, one nervous trout. The party is assembling, even as Eliaya is wandering over toward Chez Plat Savoureux.

   As she serves the fillet of rabbit, Eliaya spies Corenth slipping bits of food under the table. Quite astonished, she demands to know the purpose of this tomfoolery: "Corenth," she bellows, in a quite unladylike fashion, "Just what do you think you're doing?!"
   Corenth looks around sheepishly, and a bit nervously. "Why," he says, "I'm just feeding this poor starving dog! It doesn't look like it's eaten in weeks!"
   Frowning at him, Eliaya approaches, "Are you saying my cooking is fit to feed the dogs?" At this question, Gueanor bursts out laughing.
   "Yes! He is!" Gueanor exclaims and then proceeds to get up and dance about the room.
   Eliaya was taken aback by this strange outburst. Here Gueanor was prancing about the room and Corenth was feeding food to the dogs. He apparently has decided to adopt one of the mangy mutts so it wouldn't become rabid and attack innocent civilians. Becoming suspicious, Eliaya took a bit of the food they were eating and tasted it. While it looked delicious, there was a bit of a funny taste to it.
   Storming into the kitchen, Eliaya came across a funny scene. There stood Gordon, the Royal Chef and ArchDuchess Anabella, having quite a hearty laugh. When she enquired as to the reason for such a side-clutching laugh, Gordon gasped and wheezed and managed to sputter out, "She poisoned your food!"

Galerie de Paris © Copyright 2002 TRG Creations