- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
JULY 26, 2012
* * * * *

As the jumbo jet took off from the international airport, in Atlanta, Georgia (where it had stopped to refuel), Bob Bullfinch got tired of re-reading his great-great-grandfather's compendium of Greek myths. Instead, he opted for some lighter reading.

THE LONDON TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE BOOK FOR DUMMIES.

He was only half-way through the first one when Gabe finally returned from the men's room, and snatched it away from him.

"Hey!"

"Why are you still rotting your brain with this drivel?"

"I was bored," the younger Bullfinch heatedly replied: "Not all of us have meetings scheduled with the Mile-High Club!"

"And, you're going to remain bored, this whole trip, unless you hunker down and mellow out," Gabe retorted.

"Meaning what, exactly?" demanded Bob.

"Learn to relax a little more, and schmooze with the ladies a lot better. For one thing; don't tell them you're a mortuary bean-counter! Instead, tell them that you work in the payroll department of a..."

He stopped to think for a second. Then, he snapped his fingers: "...a major modeling agency!"

"A modeling agency?" Bob laughingly echoed.

"Don't knock it," replied Gabe: "Remember Bronco McGuffin, who recruited me for the Giants? He never failed to have college swim team girls fawning all over him, with that one."

"And, here, I thought _honesty_ was the best policy."

"If it were," said Gabe: "...the phrase 'honest politician' would be redundant. Not oxymoronic! I mean; just look at two of the events they've got scheduled for Day 17 of the Olympics. Men's and women's fifty kilometer power-walking!"

Bob shrugged: "So?"

"So, my honest opinion is that nothing (repeat: _nothing_) that resembles a bunch of people, headed for the nearest restroom with imminent cases of diarrhea, deserves to be an Olympic sport! Yet, if I were to cross the path of one of those female power-walkers, it'd be rude of me to say so, straight to her face. So, I would diplomatically lie through my teeth, and wish her luck."

"And, this approach _always_ works for you?"

"Well, let's just say it makes most women like putty in my hands. Ready and willing to be 'sculpted' like that girl statue Whatsis-face brought to life."

"You mean, Pygmalion and Galatea?"

"Exactly!"

Zeus glowered as he heard these words. And, Lachesis could barely suppress her smile as she said:

"Hear that, Papa? He not only bad-mouths the Olympic Games, founded by your favorite son, Herakles. He also disparages how Aphrodite brought Galatea to life, in answer to Pygmalions's prayers!"

"Perhaps," replied Zeus: "...he'll keep a civil tongue in his head if I put a little lightning up his ass!"

"NO, PAPA!" screamed Atropos: "That would make the plane crash. And, none of its passengers are fated to have their threads cut, today."

Lachesis nodded: "She's right. But, I have a better means of teaching him a lesson, Papa. And, it dove-tails, quite nicely, with what I had planned to do next, anyway."

"That being?"

Lachesis now grinned, most fiendishly: "It involves one of your storms...and Grandpa Cronos' hour glass."

Five minutes later, Pan-Global Flight 737 found itself encountering a freak thunder squall half-way between Greenland and Bermuda. Necessitating re-activation of the "Fasten Seat Belts" sign by the pilot. And, at one point, the turbulence got so bad that all the passengers were jolted back and forth, then side-to-side, in their seats.

In Bob and Gabe's case? They bumped heads together, and knocked each other out!

When Bob finally regained consciousness, he found himself flat on his back, on top of a rough surface. Turning his head to the right, he called out his older brother's name. But, no one was there. Then, he turned to his left. Again, no Gabe. So, he levered himself up to a sitting position, with his elbows. And, strangely enough, that did seem to elicit a response. A nearly deafening one, as a matter of fact.

"AIWA!"

Hands over his ears, Bob looked upward at the apparent source of that sound. And, his astounded eyes fairly bulged as he suddenly beheld two Chinese giantesses looking down at him!

tbc?
You must login (register) to review.