Where in the World --- Great Pin Adventure 3 Mini-meets

[AZ JazzyJ]

As part of the Great Pin Adventure 3 there will once again be small informal mini-meets held throught the event. These mini-meets are meant to be an opportunity to stop and trade and meet a few friends. We have scheduled several of these to allow people to find any that might meet their schedule. You should not feel like you must attend all of these although you are welcome to do so. Besides pin trading opportunities, there will also be activities where you can have a chance to earn Adventure Dollars which can be used during the Adventure Auction at the Great Pin Adventure 3 event on Saturday night. If you have not registered for the adventure, please do. We would love to see you. It should be a lot of fun.

Jeff

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

The golden sunlight slowly eased into the western sky. The once white billowing clouds had become a kaleidoscope of colors dancing across the horizon. There on the desert, the shadows lengthened making the majestic saguaro cacti seem larger than life. Among the solitude, the silence was broken only by the occasional howling of a coyote far in the distance. The air was still and clear as day turned to night. Suddenly the desert became completely quiet. Brief clouds of dirt arose to cover the worn boots of a trudging adventurer. The man was weathered but at ease in the harsh environment. He stopped and as he did the dust settled gently upon the brim of his fedora hat and within the folds of his rolled up sleeves. He reached into the bag that was slung over his right shoulder and retrieved a parcel. With the exhale of a deep breath he blew the desert sand off the envelope and gently opened the flap. Slowly he unfolded the parchment and using the last slivers of daylight, he read the message over again for the countless time.


Arizona Jeff,

It has been quite a while since we last spoke. I so miss the grand adventures that we used to share. The times we spent with Oliver P. Phinnius are some of my fondest memories. As I sit back and recount all that we experienced, I realized that you have become like family to me. So as a family member, I am writing to you in hopes that my letter finds you in good spirits and good health. As you know Ollie is now employed at the university teaching ancient linguistics and metallurgy. His health is suffering and the doctors have said he is in need of rest. The years of adventure have taken their toll on him and he has reached near exhaustion. So I am writing to ask for your help once again. Please come east and meet up with the other adventurers to share in the stories and the revelry of this family event.

Sincerely,
Mean Laureen

Arizona refolded the letter and placed it back in its envelope and slid the parcel back into the pack. The sun was nearly down and it would be night soon. A soft breeze began to blow from the west moving due east. He turned to face the wind. The golden sunset light seemed to dance as it hit his eyes. Jeff let out a sharp whistle. From a gully behind him came another figure. The young girl strode up to her father, her blonde hair floated gracefully in the wind. As she approached, Arizona Jeff began to speak, “So far, your mother and I have kept you fairly protected. But the time has come for that to change. There is much about me you don’t know but now that you are a young woman I think I need to explain a few things to you. You see I once roamed the land searching for treasure. Not just any treasure, but the treasure of pins. During my travels I met many great and wonderful people. It is now time for me to introduce you to them.”
Arizona Jeff grabbed his gear and began to head for the Jeep. They had little time to lose if they were going to meet their pin friends in the wondrous land of pins. As he walked towards the vehicle, his voice sliced through the night, “Pack your things, It’s Adventure Time!”

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

“Dad, what do you mean you used to hunt treasure? And what kinds of things are you talking about when you say I don’t know you?”
Arizona Jeff took a deep breath, wondering where to even begin. She was such an innocent girl, the adventure they were about to embark upon was different than anything she had ever experienced. He didn’t know how this would affect her. Her mother, Adventure Girl, had made it clear when it came to the children she did not want their heads filled with the vivid imagination and adventures of their father. After all, keeping him in line was hard enough. But this was different, this was a request from a friend, how could he deny that? And to be quite honest, he really didn’t think Adventure Girl wanted him to go off adventuring alone did she? So as they sat in the jeep driving down the deserted road, Jeff collected his thoughts as he watched the headlights bring the distant path and his life into focus.
“Long ago I became a collector of rare antiquities. Along with my colleague Oliver P. Phinnius we traveled the world searching for lost and forgotten pins. We were fairly successful in our quests too, until we encountered Henry Mordecai.”
Princeless Princess turned to face her father with a stunned and awestruck look and said, “Wait, let me get this straight. You’re telling me that you have actually met Henry Mordecai in person? Dad, he isn’t a real person. He’s an urban legend that kids talk about around a camp fire when they are trying to scare each other.”
“Well that urban legend that you refer to nearly blew me into about a million pieces.” Jeff replied without emotion.
Princeless Princess sat there watching the lines on the road pass through the headlights in an endless stream. What she was hearing did not make sense. Here was her dad who for the most part was a normal parent obsessed that her room be clean. Now she is told that he used to hunt treasures and battle notorious mythical criminal masterminds in far away lands. This was too much to comprehend. Between the data overload and the hypnotic lull of the road she was quickly overcome with exhaustion and went to sleep. When she awoke, the car was stopped and the sun was high in the sky. She was in the Jeep alone and very disoriented. Her father was standing in the distance but he was not alone. Princeless could not make out the details of the person standing near her father but she was sure she had never seen this person before. Before long, her father was returning and to his side was a red headed woman wearing a trench coat and a teal hat. Both of them seemed determined and confident in their strides. The young girl slid out of the Jeep and stood next to the vehicle as they approached.
“Mean Laureen, I would like to introduce you to my daughter Princeless Princess.” Arizona Jeff stated. “Princeless, this is Mean Laureen. She’ll be joining us on a little adventure. It seems my friend Olivier P. Phinnius has gone walkabout and we need to find him before Mordecai does.”
Princeless could not tell which was more shocking. That her father said that so nonchalantly or the fear that showed in Mean Laureen’s eyes. This was obviously not just a daddy daughter vacation. Something much more was under the surface that either of these two was letting on.
Looks like its adventure time and we are going to need some help so come and find out Where in the World is Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Early in his adventure career, Arizona Jeff was a student of Oliver P. Phinnius. The two hit it off very well and became inseparable. Together they had traveled the world in search of rare pin antiquities. These were the golden days of pins where magic and mystic adventurers were common occurrences. Although there were many happy times, there was also a dark presence within the realm of pins. That presence took the form of Henry Mordecai. Henry was a colleague of Oliver Phinnius. They had worked closely on the papers documenting the origin of pins and were the first to come up with the highly controversial Pin Bang theory where all cloisonné colors were created at the instance the universe was born. But like all unions of brilliant minds, Phinnius and Mordecai struggled to maintain balance and objectivity in their working relationship. All of this came to a head the night Phinnius was accused of robbing Henry Mordecai. That dark night was the beginning of the end to the man Henry Mordecai and the beginning of the myth. That was so long ago and so much had happened since then. Mordecai had become a tall tale, a yarn spun as so many ghost stories began. But Arizona Jeff knew differently. He had seen the terror caused by Mordecai and while others believed Henry was long gone; Jeff did not believe that for an instant. As recently as two years ago, this mythical man had reappeared and it nearly cost Arizona Jeff and Oliver P. Phinnius their lives. Had it not been for Mean Laureen, Arizona might himself be just an urban legend.
Arizona Jeff remembered vividly that September night in 2002 when he had chased Henry Mordecai throughout the world searching for his friend Ollie. Now nearly two years ago to the week, he was again on the trail of a missing Ollie and all things point to another rendezvous with Henry Mordecai. Arizona Jeff found himself in a very precarious position. He had arrived here with his daughter planning a quiet vacation with friends and family. Now he found himself on the trail of a missing person and potential danger around any bend. He knew Mean Laureen would be able to handle what lied ahead but he also had to think of his daughter Princeless Princess. She was not an adventurer, she was only a kid. While she was tough enough to survive the parenting skills of Arizona Jeff, she was being asked to endure an adventure that she was not prepared for. But he couldn’t think about the “what-if”s of something happening. He had to focus. Focus on finding Oliver P. Phinnius before Henry Mordecai did. Arizona Jeff stood and took in a deep breath, the crisp air hitting his lungs. Yes, adventure was clearly in the air. This is what he lived for.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen with Princeless Princess made their way to Ollie’s office to try and piece together where the old man had disappeared. The office was what you would expect from a man filled with adventure and short on organization. Papers and books were strewn all around the room. Plates with the remnants of meals past lay near the desk marking the obsession for work that Ollie had. He clearly lived the majority of his life in this office researching detail after detail. Guests and social graces were two items Ollie had little use for. Princeless Princess looked around and commented, “Gee dad, it looks like your office.” Mean Laureen found great humor in that laughing as she searched the office. She watched Jeff to see his reaction but he was lost in the pages of some dusty book he had found in a corner. When Laureen looked back at the paper she held, she exclaimed, “Ollie is on to something!”
Jeff crossed the room and stood looking at the paper Mean Laureen held in her hand. It described a connection between motion and pins that would prove the Pin Bang theory once and for all. The paper described in detail how the theory could be recreated. The process seemed so simple but was not without danger. If the motion components were not connected in the correct sequence, it would have dire circumstances including disruptions in the weather patterns and potentially a shift in the magnetic polarity of the planet. Arizona Jeff’s mind was racing as he began to piece together the puzzle. He took the paper from Mean Laureen folding it and placing it in the liner of his hat. He motioned to Princeless Princess and began to move towards the door. “I know where Ollie is headed and we need to stop him. Princeless, this is the moment you have been waiting for. We’re headed back, back to the Pins!” The three adventurers rushed out the door.
The Animal Kingdom holds the key to finding Oliver P. Phinnius. He has begun another high-speed adventure and this one is begins in the past, the extremely distant past. To start his plan in motion, Ollie needs an element from the Mesozoic era and there is only one place that can transport him to get it. Arizona Jeff, Mean Laureen and Princeless Princess have committed to try and find Ollie and stop him before its too late. Join our adventurers in Dinoland in the Animal Kingdom on Thursday September 9 at high noon as they enter the Dinosaur attraction in hopes of finding Ollie and talking him out of his plans.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Princeless Princess was struggling to understand what was happening. In the past few days she had seen her live completely turned upside down. She had gone from her comfortable life in Arizona and been forced into duty as an adventurer searching for a disorganized professor who was trying to prove an insane theory. And if that was not enough, her father was now chasing this man trying to catch him before some kind of mythical villain from a campfire ghost story got to him first. If he dad had not looked so serious she would have thought this was just another one of his practical jokes. But she could tell this was no laughing matter. They were running through the Animal Kingdom towards Dinoland and the entrance to Dinosaur the ride. As they rushed through the open doors towards the loading area, Princeless saw a small figure grasping a satchel and loading into a time travel vehicle. Before she could say anything, Mean Laureen grabbed her and tossed her into a seat of the next time vehicle. The next several minutes were spent careening through time chasing after an unknown man. This was too much to take. She began to think her father was right; she didn’t seem to know him at all.
As the vehicle stopped she saw the man disappear into the crowd and he was gone. Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen saw him too and were now running through the mass of people looking for the gentleman. While they were searching, Princeless Princess stood back in serious introspection. As she stared down at the ground, she noticed a piece of paper that the man had dropped. On it was a note.
“Once the plan is in motion, it must be maintained. The past alone cannot keep the energy flowing. Large amounts of energy and thrust is needed to sustain velocity. The purest form of energy comes from a distant planet. One filled with cheese and pepperoni with possibly a side salad.”
Princess didn’t quite understand what that meant but she had been taught by her mother to be resourceful so she began to consult the text and scrolls that were given to travelers when they arrived at the gates. She found that there was one such place that fit perfectly with the description on the note. Princeless Princess let out a loud whistle which stopped Arizona Jeff in his tracks. If he didn’t know better he would have sworn Adventure Girl was here but he knew that was impossible. He turned to see that the sound came from his daughter. Mean Laureen had heard it as well and was now standing next to Princeless talking. When Jeff arrived he was told, “We’re headed to Disney/MGM Studios. Phinnius is going to Pizza Planet for energy. If you want to catch him, we’ve got to hurry!” With that, the three of them were off.
Join Mean Laureen, Arizona Jeff and Princeless Princess as they continue their search for Oliver P. Phinnius. The adventure party will be at Pizza Planet in MGM Studios on Thursday September 9 at 6:30 PM where they will entertain guests and provide adventurers a chance to catch their breath and trade a few pins. There will also be activities whereby adventurers can earn Adventure Dollars for the Adventure Auction that will be held at the Great Pin Adventure 3 on Saturday night.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

As the trio arrived at Pizza Planet they realized that they were not alone. From the shadows emerged a figure dressed all in black. From under the wide brimmed hat were two eyes that showed pure evil and distaste for anyone who crossed his path. Arizona Jeff immediately recognized the figure exclaiming, “Mordecai!” In an instant Arizona Jeff rushed his nemesis swinging a left hook with all of his might. He had not anticipated that his balance would be off when he closed the gap between them so quickly. Mordecai feigned to his right and with a fluid motion grabbed Arizona Jeff’s arm and using the momentum of his attacker he dropped to his knees flinging Jeff through the air where he landed unceremoniously among the air hockey tables. Mean Laureen saw an opening when Mordecai was preoccupied watching Jeff in flight. She rushed forward with a roundhouse kick aimed directly at Mordecai’s head. Henry reacted and deflected the kick with a dinner tray. The fiberglass tray shattered throwing shards of tray across the room causing diners to run screaming at the sights of this melee. Laureen landed awkwardly and Mordecai turned catching her solidly in the back dropping the Mean one to her knees. He turned to face Princeless Princess who stood motionless not knowing what to do. Sensing she was not a threat, Henry Mordecai turned and vanished. Princeless Princess did not stand there for long, she realized their best bet was to follow Mordecai and she took off after him. When Jeff and Laureen got to their feet they realized that not only had they lost the trail of Oliver P. Phinnius but they now had to deal with the reappearance of Henry Mordecai. To top all of that, now Arizona Jeff had lost his daughter as well. While he hurt from the battle he just fought, he knew that pain was nothing compared to what lie ahead when Adventure Girl found out her daughter was running solo after a madman. Jeff was pretty sure things could not get much worse. About that time, the skies opened and it began to rain.
Standing in the street as the rain dripped from his hat, Jeff tried to piece things back together and plot their next step. Mean Laureen came to his side and placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “I know where they are going. I was talking to a couple on the other side of the room and they said they overheard our friend in black talking to someone and that they were in a hurry to find the small gentlemen who had just left. They said they needed a fast spacecraft capable of reaching high velocity. The only ship fast enough that I know of is Mission: Space.”
Arizona Jeff turned and looked at his partner, “I guess this means this next adventure is going to be out of this world.” With that he turned and began to head towards his next destination. Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen are now on a quest not only to find Oliver P. Phinnius but also to find Princeless Princess. Please join them at Mission: Space on Friday September 10 at 10:00 AM as they further their quest and try to keep the world safe for the pin adventurers.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Mean Laureen didn’t even want to think about what lie ahead. She had heard the tales of Mission: Space and they were not pretty. Nearly half those who go end up feeling the pains of space sickness. She was not sure what she was going to do. She knew she couldn’t let Arizona Jeff down but she was also not sure she could handle this adventure. Her mind was racing. On one hand Jeff needed her help but on the other, she really needed to keep her feet planted firmly on Earth. She was hoping that when the time came the decision would be easy. She looked ahead of her and saw Arizona Jeff. It had been a long time since the two of them had been on an adventure together but it didn’t take long for this one to get out of hand like usual. She wasn’t sure what it was about the two of them that always seemed to attract danger and suspense. She would say it was just a coincidence but she knew better. Before she could think about it any further, she realized they were standing in front of Mission: Space. It looked even more imposing than she had imagined. Putting the fear behind her, she pressed on looking for Princeless Princess. It was clear that girl had her father’s flair for adventure but being so young she had no idea the amount of danger she was in.
Arizona Jeff was the first to reach the crew briefing room. He saw Princeless skulking ahead in pursuit of Mordecai. He tried to reach her but the cabin closed before he could. He grabbed the next spacecraft and made his way to the captain’s chair. Laureen slid into the navigator’s position determined that if nothing else she wouldn’t let Jeff get lost. The rocket quickly reached terminal velocity and they broke the bounds of earth’s atmosphere. Laureen never would have believed she would be engaged in an interplanetary high speed pursuit but anything is possible when dealing with Arizona Jeff. As the adventurers returned to their home planet, they quickly made their way out of the capsule. Mordecai could see they were in pursuit and began to cause a diversion to mask his getaway. As he passed the controls to Mission: Space he made a minor centrifugal adjustment. The results were astronaut candidates becoming violently ill. Both Jeff and Laureen were caught in the middle as they stopped to help these people while Mordecai got away. On one hand Jeff hoped that Princeless was still with Mordecai but he caught himself and wondered what he was thinking. He was afraid the trail was about to turn cold and he would never be able to find them. As he walked out of Mission: Space he noticed a note taped to the wall. He retrieved it to find it was from his daughter.
“I overheard them say they needed steam from a railroad locomotive. Not sure what that means but I’ll stay with them. Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” It was signed Your Princess.
Arizona Jeff looked at his watch; if they hurried they could catch the train at the Magic Kingdom Main Street station. Join our two heroes on Friday September 10 at 2:00 PM at the Magic Kingdom at the Main Street train station. All aboard for a trip around the park and don’t forget to bring your pins. Nothing quite like a pin trading train ride to start your afternoon off right.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Train whistles pierced the afternoon air. Clouds of steam billowed from the locomotive as the conductor announced, “All aboard!” The gates to the station were just beginning to close. Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen were literally flying up the steps trying to catch the train before it left the station. Slowly engine #3 began to move out. The Roger E. Broggie began its daily journey down the tracks away from Main Street USA. Arizona Jeff stood helplessly looking on as he could see Princeless Princess’ blonde curly hair floating in the wind. Ahead of her a couple of cars he could see Henry Mordecai. As Jeff focused his eyes on the train, he thought he saw the profile of Oliver P. Phinnius at the engine tender. Arizona had to catch that train. He jumped the gate and began to run down the boarding station. A conductor quickly grabbed him and pulled him back stating that the next train would be along shortly. No matter how much he argued he was not getting anywhere with the conductor. Finally the attendant said, “If you want to catch that train you’ll need to go to the Frontierland station.”
Jeff turned to explain the situation to Mean Laureen but she was already halfway down the stairs heading for Frontierland. The two of them were running down the streets weaving in and out of the crowds carefully avoiding strollers and children while making their way as quickly as possible to their destination. No matter how fast they went, there was no way they would outrun a train. As they approached the train station they could already see that they would not make it before the train once again departed. Arizona Jeff could feel the lump in his stomach growing. Before he could think about his next move, he saw Mean Laureen turn to her right and begin running towards Main Street which is exactly where they just came from. She ran through the entrance and directly towards the Monorail station. Arizona Jeff did not want to be left behind sensing that Laureen had a plan. He too jumped barely making the monorail as it departed. He stood there trying to catch his breath wondering why they were on this train. Before he could ask, Mean Laureen stated, “I got thinking about it, maybe it was the wrong train.” She then pointed in the direction where the monorail was heading.
Of course, what better place to store artifacts than in the concaves of the Contemporary Inn? The monorail docked and the two of them jumped off. As they rushed down the escalators they saw a body lying on the floor. Arizona Jeff reached the bottom first and gently turned the unconscious body over. It was Princeless Princess. Jeff quickly went to work trying to revive the girl. Slowly she began to come to and as she looked into her father’s face her eyes began to fill with tears. “Dad, I thought I had him then he turned and the next thing all I saw was blackness. I think I failed.” Jeff pulled her close and consoled the girl. “No, you’re safe and with us now. It’ll be fine. We’ll catch him. Don’t worry about it. Are you ok?”
Princeless Princess slowly nodded and said, “Yes, I’m fine but I am really hungry.”
Arizona Jeff realized that none of them had eaten all day. If they were going to keep up this pace they needed some food. They made their way to Chef Mickey’s for a little rest and relaxation before continuing their journey.
Join Arizona Jeff, Mean Laureen and Princeless Princess as they dine at Chef Mickey’s as the guests of Mickey527. It will be an evening filled with stories of adventure and the hi-jinx of all the adventurers. Dinner will be served at 5:00 PM and adventurers should be there 15 – 30 minutes early. For those not yet registered for dinner, contact Mickey527 to make your plans.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

The evening was filled with camaraderie as long lost adventurers gathered to share their experiences and bask in the fun that marked the pin trading community. There were the usual intense moments as trades and non-trades were rehashed. When the stories turned to the rare and the unusual, tempers began to flair but soon subsided. Their host Mickey527 always held a great party and made everyone feel welcome. The smiles were plentiful and the friendship strong.
Soon the conversation began to become quiet as everyone rested after the wonderful meal they had shared. Someone turned to Arizona Jeff and asked what grand adventure he was embarking on now. Before he could answer Princeless Princess spoke up stating, “We’ve been chasing Henry Mordecai the past couple of days.” There was a collective gasp from those in attendance. Here was this brash young girl at her first adventure who spoke of Mordecai. The room was suddenly a buzz with conversation as everyone recounted all of the stories they heard of Mordecai. There were also more than a few people who were extremely nervous talking about such things. After all, this madman was still on the loose. Now this young girl comes in and announces that Henry Mordecai is not only still alive but also in the vicinity. This was not good at all. Mean Laureen quickly jumped in saying how they weren’t sure it was Mordecai at all but rather just a suspicious character. This calmed the crowd down tremendously. Laureen stated they were really stating that they were looking for Oliver Phinnius who they heard was vacationing nearby. In the corner jojoct commented, “I saw Ollie just before I came tonight. He was headed towards Epcot. He seemed very pre-occupied when I talked to him. He kept talking about plants growing without soil or food being grown for space travel. I had no idea where he was going with that.”
Arizona Jeff, Mean Laureen and Princeless Princess left the dinner deciding to camp on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon. While the others slept, Arizona Jeff pondered all that had gone on and what he had heard tonight. The night time sky was filled with stars and he sat there gazing up at them wondering if Ollie had truly found the beginning of pins. The eastern sky began to lighten and Jeff knew it would be daylight before long. The words of jojoct still lingered in his mind. Where could Ollie be going? As he thought about this question he realized where they should be looking. He went back to the campsite and woke everyone up.
“I know where Ollie is going. We need to pack our things and go to the Land Pavilion.” He helped pack up camp and they made their way to Epcot. Join our adventures at the Land Pavilion on Saturday September 11 at 12:00 PM as they continue their search for Oliver P. Phinnius. It will be a mini-meet you won’t want to miss. Not only will there be pin trading but where else can you see a lemon the size of a watermelon?

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Mean Laureen was the first to reach the boats at the Land. She could still remember the last time she was in this spot. Two years ago she was searching for Ollie and it led to this spot. She was face-to-face with Henry Mordecai and she relinquished the letter she had been entrusted to carry. That mistake had nearly cost Ollie and Arizona Jeff their lives. The three of them never talked about it. She knew there were no hard feelings but it still bothered her. Why couldn’t she have stood up for herself? Would things have turned out any differently? Oh how she longed for another chance at redemption, an opportunity to face Mordecai again. She was certain it would not end the same. And what was it about this place that seemed to draw Ollie to it? She had so many questions yet so few answers. Somehow there must be a reason they were here again.
Arizona Jeff was lost in his own thoughts trying to piece together what had occurred the last two days and what it all meant. It seemed that he had been playing catch up at each juncture of this adventure and he was getting tired of it. If he were to get the upper hand, he needed to anticipate where Ollie was going to be not where he had been. As he was intently studying the events of the previous days, Princeless Princess sat in the boat watching the scenery change. “You know,” she said, “these plants remind me of the pictures that were hanging on Dr. Phinnius’ walls. There were pictures of crops just like those. They were right next to that beautiful picture of the Japanese garden. You know the one with the beautiful koi pond and the reflecting pool filled with colored glass.”
Arizona Jeff stopped; her words hit him like a freight train. How could he not have seen it? It was so obvious. He turned to his daughter and proclaimed, “You’re smart just like your mother. The answer was right there in front of our faces the whole time! How could we have missed it?”
He grabbed his belongings, took his daughter by the hand and motioned to Mean Laureen. They were off on another trek in search of Oliver P. Phinnius. Join Arizona Jeff and Mean Laureen at the Japanese gardens in Epcot where there will be quiet contemplation and pin trading among the Bonsai trees as the adventure begins to reach its zenith.

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

The garden seemed so peaceful; it was hard to believe that it held the secrets to the universe. Arizona Jeff made his way to be back of the garden where the waters originated from a fresh water spring. Just as he had anticipated, the opening to the spring had a riverbed of colorful rocks scattered among the white and clear crystals. Among all of the colors was one particular stone. Jeff intently searched and searched until he finally found it. Reaching into the icy cold water he retrieved what he was looking for. He carefully placed the rock in his pocket and receded back into the shadows and waited. The sky began to turn from daylight to dusk. The shadows lengthened in the twilight and everything took on a golden hue. As the last shreds of light gave way to darkness, a figure appeared. He made his way to the stream and followed it to the spring. Using a penlight he began searching unsuccessfully. Arizona Jeff crept out and holding a stone between his fingers he quietly asked, “Are you looking for this?”
The figure was startled dropping the flashlight into the water giving the spring an eerie light. “Who’s there? What do you want?” he asked.
“Relax Ollie, it’s me.” Said Arizona Jeff
“Arizona Jeff! Thank heavens it’s you. I think I have solved the dilemma of the Pin Bang theory!” said Oliver
“Yeah I know, that’s why I am here. I can’t let you do it you know. There are too many unknowns and you would be endangering too many lives.” Explained Arizona Jeff
“No, no, I have to finish this. You have no idea what it would mean to finally solve this last mystery.” Pleaded Ollie.
“He’s right, it is too dangerous” came a voice from the shadows behind them.
Both Arizona Jeff and Ollie Phinnius wheeled around to find themselves again facing Henry Mordecai. “I have to give you credit old man, I didn’t think you could do it. But you have proven me wrong once again. Of course you realize I will need to relieve you from these burdens and conscious struggles. Personally I am not concerned about the dangers. I am more interested in the personal gain and glory.”
“You’ll never get away with this Mordecai!” exclaimed Phinnius
“Why do people always insist on saying that? Don’t you realize I already have? Years of becoming a legend larger than life, years of hiding in the shadows waiting for a chance to regain my dignity and stature that you took away. Now is my chance. This is my opportunity and my destiny. So please hand over the stone.” Mordecai said nonchalantly. “Don’t think I am completely heartless, I will let you watch as I prove to all mankind that I was and am the greatest adventurer of them all.”
Arizona Jeff listened calmly to Mordecai's speech while rolling the artifact from hand to hand. With Henry's request, Arizona Jeff tossed the item from his hand high into the air. Mordecai followed its flight through the distance waiting for it to land in his hand. The item seemed to float forever. It was as if time had stood still. But as the artifact came within a foot of Mordecai's hand, Arizona Jeff leapt through the air tackling Phinnius to the ground and knocking him over a large rock. As the item touched Mordecai's hand it exploded, the detonation being seen and heard throughout the land. Rocks and debris flew everywhere showering Arizona Jeff and Oliver Phinnius inflicting pain as it went. When all was quiet, Ollie sat up stunned and trying to understand what had happened. He turned to Arizona Jeff and before he could ask, Arizona said "the old exchange the priceless crystal for a blasting cap trick. It gets them every time."Both of the adventurers looked at each other and smiled. They stood up and brushed the dust and debris from their clothing. “Come on, we got a party to go to.” Arizona Jeff said. The two friends walked quietly in the darkness towards Pop Century.
Join us at Pop Century where Arizona Jeff, Mean Laureen and Princeless Princess celebrate the retrieval of Oliver P. Phinnius and try to explain the concepts behind the Pin Bang theory. The event will be held in the food court of Pop Century on September 11, 2004 at 8:00 PM. It is a party you are not going to want to miss.

 

[daber]

One small detail missing oh honorable Bonzai pin trader, what time do we meet among the small trees?

 

[AZ JazzyJ]

Wow, that sentence completely disappeared. The meet at Japan is Saturday September 11 at 3:00 PM. Good catch Daber.

Jeff