Team QueSt: The Next Generation Trouble in Paradise Part 1 One evening on the Quest compound, Moniri and Miana were thumbing through some old picture albums. "You know, Moniri, it's been years since I've thumbed through these." replied Miana. "Yeah, these old high school pictures were a hoot. You in your pentecostal days..." "Oh, don't remind me! My biggest mistake was getting involved in that fundamentalist racket! My studies of Hinduism with Hadji have been much more fulfilling." "Don't let the church hear you say that-- after all, you're going to HELL!!!" teased Moniri. "Oh, I know-- I must repent... No, seriously, that is no joking matter. I still have a respect and carry some of the beliefs, but I can't live my life under that kind of judgment from those people." Moniri kept thumbing through the pages with a perplexed look on her face. "Mi, where are all your pictures of--" "I got rid of them ages ago." "But you were--" "I don't want to talk about it, Mon. It's ancient history." "Ok, Mi. Whatever you say. It sure is quiet around here." "I know. Jessie, Hadji, and the boys have been gone for two weeks now." "How much longer does Estella need them down there?" asked Moniri. "It could be another month. Jonny is missing Jessie like crazy, though." "He's not the only one." smiled Moniri. "I know. I miss Hadji like crazy as well." "This is the first time other than your hospital stay that you and he have been apart, isn't it?" Miana's head dropped as she looked down at her hands. "Yeah, it is. When he first left, he called me every night, but with him being as busy as he has been, he hasn't called me for a while." "Where's Jonny?" asked Moniri. "Filling in for Jessie at the office, just in case some other assignments come in." Just then, Jonny came through the door. "Jonny, what's up? You look puzzled." asked Miana. "I got a call today." "From where?" "From Scotland. There's a museum up there that has found some remains on the bottom of the Lochness." "The Lockness monster? That has been under investigation for years! What do they need us for?" "To confirm their findings." "We may need Jessie on this. After all, she's the archaeologist." observed Miana. "Impossible to get her or Hadji out of Columbia. Besides, there is a Scottish specialist who they are going to assign to work with us. Miana, do you have any backgrounds other than astronomy or parapsych? My marine bio background is important, but it may not be enough." "Well, after I graduated from the University of Calcutta, I still felt like I wanted to stretch myself some more. I started going to school in Bangalore, and I'm just a few credits shy of a degree in paleontology and a minor in anthropology." "Perfect! Pack your bags, Mi! We're off to Scotland. Moniri, please get the girls ready. We're taking you and the girls with us." "Ok, Jonny. Let me leave a note for Bobby-- he won't be back from the fishing trip with Race and Dr. Quest until tomorrow." ******************************************************************************* "Hadji, look at this! These tablets from those newly discovered Malenque ruins are incredible!" exclaimed Jessie. "I never knew that their empire was so widespread." replied Hadji. "Let me scan these into the database." "No one else did either, until now." Just then, the boys ran by, nearly knocking the delicate tablets from Hadji's hands. "Benny! Stop running! You nearly..." "Rajan! Over here, NOW!" scolded Hadji. "Go into the tent, and have a seat. No more games now." "Awww, Dad..." "Do not 'aww, Dad' me. Obey my wishes." "Yes, father." answered Rajan formally, with his head lowered in a humble fashion. "Same goes for you, Benny. Go!" "Yes, Mom." The boys were going into their respective tents when the cell phone rang. "Yes? Jonny! God, I miss you so much... What? You did... when are you and Miana leaving? Moniri and the girls, too? Inside of an hour... I see." Hadji was making strong gestures indicating his desire for the phone. "Miana! I am so sorry I have not called-- I miss you so much. I love you, too! How long will you be gone? No idea... I know-- I do not like it either. Ok, I love you, too. Good-bye love." Hadji hung up the phone before Jessie had a chance to finish talking to Jonny. "Real smooth, Hadj." "I am sorry, Jessie. It is just this situation..." "I know. Their investigation of the Lochness remains could take months! God, I'd kill to be there, and not just to be near Jonny!" "But our work here..." "Will take at least another month, maybe two. This really sucks." "I know." agreed Hadji, resting his chin on the back of his hand. ******************************************************************************* Jonny, the women, and the girls disembarked after their flight landed in Scotland. A squat, balding, middle-aged man came up to them. "Aye, good to be meetin' ya!" said the man in a thick Scottish accent. "Me name is Edgar McDougal. They call me Ed for short." "Nice to meet you, Ed. I'm Jonny Quest. This is my sister in law, Miana SIngh, and her sister, Moniri Monesson. The baby is my daughter Rachel, and the three year old is Miana's daughter, Lou." "Nice to meet you lassies. Please come with me. Dr. McCleod is waitin for us." Moniri looked at Miana, and she shook her head in dismissal, as McCleod was a common name in Scotland. "So. Mrs. Singh, your name ain't quite American, and your daughter has an exotic Eastern beauty to her." observed Ed as they walked toward his car. "My husband is East Indian. He's the adopted son of Benton Quest, my father-in-law." "Aye. I see. He couldn't come on this trip, then?" "No, he and Mrs. Quest are on assignment in South America. Our sons are with them." Ed nodded. "Mr. Quest, I think you'll find what we have here is very interesting. We're looking forward to yer observations." "Thank you, Ed. We'll do our best." Minutes later, the car reached it's destination, and all entered the museum that commissioned them. "Mr. McDougal, Dr. McCleod wants you to take the Quests straight on to Lochness. They have an onsite lab there." "Thank you, Heather. Let's go." ******************************************************************************* They soon reached their destination on the shores of Lochness. They saw many people working near the water. One man in particular was bent over, his back to the approaching car. Miana saw him from behind, and started shifting uncomfortably in her seat. Moniri looked at her. "No, Mon. It couldn't be. It's been twenty years!" whispered Miana. The car stopped, and everyone got out. As they approached the shoreline, the man was still bent over his work. "Dr. McCleod, the Quests are here." The man stood up and turned around. Miana's mouth fell. "Derrick..." she whispered. Miana, even though having been back with the Quests for a while, still favored Indian clothing. Even though most of her clothes she had packed for her trip were American, she was wearing an Indian sari. The man knitted his brows as he looked at the group, Miana in particular. "Miana? Miana Scolari, is that you?" he asked incredulously. "Yes, Derrick." She nswered uncomfortably. "Only the name is Singh. Miana Singh. You remember my sister, Moniri?" "Yes. We met only once, but I never forget a face. I hardly recognized you in that get-up." "Get-up?!? These are my clothes!" Derrick had a puzzled look on his face. "My husband is Indian. When not working with the Quests, we reside in Bangalore Palace, in India!" exclaimed Miana, temper rising in her voice and face flushing with anger. "Palace?" asked Ed. "Hadji is the Sultan of Bangalore." answered Jonny. "I take it you two know each other?" "It was a long time ago." snapped Miana. "If you will excuse me, I'll find a place where I can change out of my 'get-up'." "Smooth move, Derrick. Looks like after all these years, you would have developed some tact." "You know nothing of me, miss." "No, but Miana does. She told me all about you. She described you as a very caring and deep person, but on the same token, as having a sharp tongue when speaking your mind, often resulting in tasteless remarks. She also described you as being very arrogant." Derrick McCleod was a strikingly handsome man. He was the same height as Hadji--about 6'1", only his build was slightly larger. He was muscular, with waist-length straight black hair with gray streaks at the temples, that was pulled back in a pony tail. He was the same age as Hadji-- thirty-eight. He was clad in a black muscle shirt with matching shorts, and wore a small silver pendant in the shape of the infinity symbol. Derrick folded his arms and frowned slightly. "She is still bitter?" "Still bitter?!? What do you think? You promised you'd come back! You never did. She eventually got over you-- she erased all traces of you out of her life. She had no one else in her life until she met Hadji. You were the last person she'd ever want to see again. You are nothing but a reminder of a bitter time in her life, and now, you are going to complicate things for her like no one could ever imagine!" "Maybe so, but right now, we have an assignment to discuss. Ed, then the Sultana comes out, please show Her Highness to the lab." "No need to be smart, Derrick." "I'm not. I'm completely serious." "Miana is very informal. She goes by her name, just like the rest of us." "I'll keep that in mind." |