Tales from the Black Hart

The Black Hart Library – Its not that the Livonians are inherently evil, really it is only that the residents of that small duchy tend to hire themselves out to the lowest bidder, and if the Livonians are in for a penny, why then the of course the Grüsonians (Gruesonians) are in for a pound. Stirling. Perhaps the evil Doctor Minneapolis St. Paul, (so named because her parents thought Minneapolis a far better city than Madison on even the worst of days), along with various immense financial entities are behind the perfidy of the Livonians et al. It is entirely possible that Professor Briar, Red Sparks, Wing Commander Wendell and her valiant airship crew may be able to sort it all out, keeping the world safe for mankind, airship, small wooly ruminants and various beasts. Have trebuchet will travel? But then who knows? In the end, like every other story this too will end up catalogued and filed away at the Black Hart. A note to our gentle and health conscious readers; some characters in this story such as the Professor and the Wing Commander do in fact often engage in and enjoy smoking pipes or cigars and this is not meant to be a glamorization or promotion of that vile behavior among the general public in any way. No seriously, Commander Wendell, please stop giggling. On second thought, it is ok if some of you feel the need to smirk. There is some possibility that this story follows closely on the heels of The Dirigible Pirates since several, perhaps many, of the characters appear in both stories although it is clear that they have changed their names since that earlier adventure was chronicled. Quite probably some of them are participants in various witness protection schemes while others simply are victims of their own boredom. As will quickly become apparent to even the casual reader, this and the other earlier work are both largely autobiographical. Of course more than twenty years have passed since that earlier chronicle of events and it is equally possible that some of them have forgotten who they were when they were young and filled with a sense of limitless possibility and adventure. Yes, peace, love, and rock and roll can save the world. Or as it turns out, maybe not.