16. Fish in Black

"Lucky we saved these costumes from Halloween, yes, Boss?"

"Yes. Now tell me honestly--how do I look?"

"You make that outfit look good!"

"That's what I thought! Now rehearse for me my plan." 

"We go in costume to to the center of the part of the ocean  where the impossible hurricane hit--lucky it is not too far from here--and we snoop around to find out if anybody has found and is misusing Neptune's trident..."

"I don't like the word snoop--investigate is better."

"Right! We investigate who might have found the trident and then..."

"Ho, ho! We use the old "Fish in Black" routine to convince the finder of the trident to give it to us--so we can return it to its proper owner, King Neptune."

...

15. Meanwhile

Meanwhile, in another part of the ocean:

"You wanted to see me, Isiah?"

"Uh, Boss--I may have some information about the whereabouts of the missing trident..."

"Oh so you MAY have some INFORMATION! Its the TRIDENT  I WANT dumbkopf! Not stupid information!"

"Oh, I know, I know, Sir! The Trident! Well I have received some information that may help..." 

"TRIDENT! NOT INFORMATION!" 

"Uh, yes boss! Trident!  Well, it seems there has been a hurricane in a part of the world where there never has been a hurricane before so someone may have found the magic trident and could be experimenting with its awesome power..."

"I'll awesome power YOU if you don't get back to me with that trident very soon-- hmmm. Hurricane you say? Sounds promising."

"Yes. And if you will come..."

"Shut it! I have an idea! I'll go with you to the center of where the hurricane happened.  That is probably where the finder of the trident is experimenting! And we'll use the old "Fish in Black" routine to get it back!"

"Brilliant, Boss!"

"Yes--I am!"

...

14.Ill Wind

"Ahhh." I thought--

Everything perfect.

But wait a minute. 

Suddenly everything got darker and everything started to move. The wind started to blow so hard my beach chair turned over, collapsed and was swept away.  Rain began to fall so heavily everything was drenched.

I had asked the trident for Bahama weather right where I lived and it had given me Bahama weather with a vengeance: a Bahama hurricane! 

And the trident felt a little warmer.

  

...

13. The Life

As long as I held the magic trident everything I wanted simply appeared.

Soon I had not only the perfect weather of the Bahamas but all the frills I had dreamed of--warm sand--beach chair--tall cool drink served by pretty, tan shrimp.

The LIFE I had always dreamed of! 

And NO problems--well, one little problem--the magic trident kept getting warmer.

 

...

12 Good Weather

So! 

There could be no doubt of it. That trident was some kind of good luck charm!

And it REALLY WORKED!


So maybe I should stop fooling around and get some bigger things done!


Go the the Bahamas for sunshine and perfect weather?--POOH!


I'd get that perfect weather RIGHT HERE and RIGHT NOW!


"Do you hear that, Trident?! I want perfect sunny weather like they have in the Bahamas HERE and NOW!"


And things brightened up and the water got warmer immediately!


WOW! POWER!!!

...

11. Pizza

"Maybe I'll run a little test." I thought. "I am feeling a little hungry so I will think of food and see what happens."

There was a knock at the office door and a pizza delivery clam was there.


"You Constable Crab?" he asked.


"I am." I answered.


"Then here's a free hot large size pizza--with everything--from the Hasty Tasty Pizza Shoppe."


"But I didn't order..." I started to say.


"'At's all right. We give one free pizza away every week--good advertising, ya' know. An' we pick one name at random from the phone book and your name was the one chose! 

"Congratulations an' here's your pizza!"


"Bye!"

....

10. Warmer

  

This was almost too much of a good thing.

This sudden run of good luck--more in one morning than I usually had in months or even years...

Something was very fishy.

And it all seemed to start when I found this trident!

I have never believed in magic or talismans or anything like that but this string of bizarre coincidences was just too much--and it did seem that this cool trident was somehow causing the things to happen to me.

I was still carrying it and there was something else odd abut it.

It seemed to be getting warmer!

...