The Contract

Hi, I'm back. I'm sorry I wasn't free to write something for you last time, but Darcy did a great job. I wonder why he needs me, with his reporting background. Still, never mind. I should explain myself, even though Darcy touched upon the reason.

You may recall that Lionel Grand released a successful long playing record and that Christian Snow-Warren and I had written three songs where soprano Tamara Lynx had featured.

No? Well, it's no matter. The point is that our songs drew the attention of a noted producer. I was approached to compose the tunes for a musical based upon the epic poem The Sylvan River. It seemed to be a great opportunity until I read the contract. It didn't mention Chris. The main reason was that they wanted to use words from the poem. Understandable, but I didn't want to exclude my friend and songwriting partner. I wanted to argue his case so I travelled out of Mellowdene just before Christmas to meet the producer in person. So now you know why Darcy had to fill in.

In case you're wondering, the discussions with the producer resulted in a compromise. The Sylvan River tells a story, but there are parts of the narrative which are rushed compared to the rest. Purists may argue, but the producer was of the same mind. I suggested that Chris write the lyrics for additional songs that would make the pace of the musical more consistent. He didn't need much persuasion. The contract will be amended accordingly.

This good news made for an enjoyable Christmas. Cecile said she was proud of me, which was nice. After Christmas we went for a meal with Chris and Charity where we surprised them with the news.

The meal was delightful. We hadn't been to the Seaside Restaurant since it was sold to Basil Hazelwood and renamed The Mousehole. The menu had expanded to accommodate his culinary magic, but still had the wonderful sea food available for diners. After the plates had been cleared, Basil came to our table to have a word.

"I wanted to retain the connection with the Seaside Restaurant franchise," he explained. "To do this, I was able to convince Lawrence Seabreeze to keep a token percentage of the place and he agreed to be a sleeping partner. Happily, Caspian Neptune was delighted to stay on as the sea food chef; I can't begin to compete in that area."

"Wins all around," I commented.

"Definitely." He chuckled. "And speaking of good cooking, I should have a chat with your brother. My own brothers tease me sometimes, telling me of Merlin's skill."

Cecile smiled. "He cooked the main dish this Christmas. We all had a pleasant doze afterwards."

Their conversation continued but I was distracted with a memory Basil had prompted.

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I didn't visit Darcy until the new year so I wasn't familiar with his "Life in Mellowdene" writings until he let me look at his computer thingy. I liked his idea about writing stories about the mice community. Darcy has superb memory for detail so he will be able to recall events and conversations accurately enough to convert into stories.

When he spoke of the Hazelwood brothers it renewed the memory that I'd had in the restaurant. I promised myself that I'd have a chat with Merlin to clarify a few points - it could make an interesting story...

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