Tag ~~~

"But this is amazing!" said the prince, standing in the tunnels with Mireje at his side as he took in the extent of the underground complex. "And she kept all these miners down here along with their families, tunneling away, preparing all these extensive excavations in order to… to what?"

"Partly to be able withstand any attempts to force her and her women out of the consulate," Jim replied.

"Yes, and partly because in the midst of all the tunneling, the miners found a deposit of these." Artie passed the prince the handful of white crystals.

Stepanko examined them, then shook his head. "But what are they? Some sort of gem stone?"

"I haven't had the opportunity yet to examine them in a lab, but I'm pretty sure these are franconium," said Artie. "It's a very rare mineral and therefore very valuable. I'm sure the baroness had a lot of plans for the franconium, or at least for the money she could gain by selling it."

"Yes," added Jim. "And chief among those plans was the one to keep her neighbor beyond the back wall of the consulate grounds from knowing that these tunnels extend under that wall into his property."

"Oh," said the prince, handing the crystals back. "Then these do not belong to the Crown of Pterovnia, but to whoever owns the land under which it was mined."

"That's right, Your Majesty."

The young man sighed, then gave a radiant smile. "Ah well! Easy came, easy went, is that not what you Americans say?"

"Something like that, Your Majesty."

Stepanko looked around once more, smiling at the miners. He then made a brief speech to them in their native language which was received with cheers.

Jim leaned close to Artie, who explained, "He told them that they are free to return to their homes here in the United States, and that if any of them prefer to return to Pterovnia, they may do so at the Crown's expense."

Andreshko came and grabbed Mireje's hand, dragging her off to meet the authentic Vachko Petroshko and his family, leaving the prince alone. He watched the brother and sister for a moment meditatively, then turned to the Americans. "There is one thing more that bothers me, my friends. It is the matter of Mireje Gorashche. Her mother of course will be returned to our homeland in chains to face trial. And as Mireje and Andreshko are my cousins, I intend to take them home with me as royal wards. I have already asked their governess to accompany us and she has agreed."

"Oh?" said Artie and stole a look at Catalina. She smiled back at him faintly.

"But there is still the matter of… well, what precisely did Vazilje do to me to cause me to propose marriage so readily to her daughter? Not that there is anything wrong with Mireje. She is eighteen and of age to marry, and we are not so closely related as cousins to raise an objection there. It is just… Why did I propose so quickly? I would think that I would prefer to, ah, to take my time about making such a decision. Especially considering that I never did get to visit New Orleans!"

"How do you feel about the young lady now?" asked Jim.

A rhapsodic sigh poured forth from the prince. "Oh! She is heavenly! So lovely, so shy, so divine! I would marry her in a heartbeat! And… and yet…" He laughed. "I confuse myself over her. How could I be so completely, how do you say, heels over head like this? How does one fall in love so at first glance?"

"Well, my prince," said Artie, gesturing to a certain young lady of his close acquaintance from amongst the miners, "that doesn't usually come about unless one has had a little push in that direction. But let me assure you, Your Majesty, I have the cure for what ails you right here!"

The course of the next few seconds witnessed the sound of a lingering kiss, followed by a resounding slap, and after that blood-curdling hollering that terminated in an emphatic splash. And as the prince's Pterovnian oaths turned the air in the tunnels blue, Jim said to his partner, "You're a fiendish man, Artie."

"True, true. But the prince is cured now. He'll be just fine."

"I'm glad to hear it, but I'm not so sure about us."

"What do you mean, Jim?"

"Well, Artie, we're still on Pterovnian soil. Or under it."

"So?" Moments later the penny dropped and Artie's face went pale. "Oh. Ah…" He pointed down one of the tunnels. "The gate's unlocked on that one, right?"

Vachko Petroshko nodded. "God be with you, Merinko West, Merinko Gordon." The old priest held out a hand, but Artie hurried on past it.

"No time to shake hands, I think. Farewell then. It was good meeting you and your family. My gratitude to your wife for the cure. Cat my dear, adios. James my boy?"

"Yes, Artie?"

The Pterovnian curses were coming closer. "Um… Run!" And with Jim at his side, Artemus Gordon hightailed it out of the consulate.

~~~ FIN ~~~