{ Punishment! }

[capn_redd]

-en the pants will sing, naturally, so Jorgumand won't - .... Hmm.

Ace. Ace, Ace Ace.

ACE!

you have your own toys, ugly duckling, it was frightfully bad of you to go and break mine

[Ace will quite suddenly find himself in the Captain's ready room on an unknown deck. Tea is laid out - dainty little china cups, doilies, biscuits and all! Gambler

Comments

[capn_redd]

Bonjour, mon ami. Assez-vous, s'il vous plait? Merci, merci!

[Redd gestures at Ace with his finger, and it's like Ace is a puppet suddenly. He finds himself walking across the room, pulling out a chair and sitting quite primly.

Redd sips his tea.]

Let's continue this in English, for the thirty-billion pairs of ears out in Alpha Centauri, hm? They'll have subtitles sooner or later. We need some music.

[A record player off to one side starts to turn and the melancholy tunes of Billie Holiday's "Gloomy Sunday" plaintively warble out.

Redd smiles.]

You look a little nauseated. Have a digestive biscuit?

[capn_redd]

Mmph, yes, they seem to think I should be far taller than I really am--though six-six is hardly a minor achievment for one so glorious and splendid as myself, hmmm?

[Redd smiles and sips from his cup again. He sways to the song.]