The Grand Tour Began like this...

So. It all began with another meeting at the Anonymous Patron's Club, The Stag on the Moor.
Again I found the gentleman seated, cloaked in impenetrable shadows, apart from his elegantly clad feet. These were elongated in exotic slippers of bright yellow satin and were quite distracting.
Until he spoke.
His deep voice drew my attention up towards his shadowy visage.

'I believe you should take The Grand Tour' he said

'Ah' I replied.
The Grand Tour. I imagined myself in Vienna, in Rome, Florence, in Paris. I grew quite dizzy.

'However' he said 'I think you should begin in Greece'

I saw myself crowned with olive branches upon a pebbled shore, dancing, Byronic.
I nodded.

'And you will need a Bear-Leader' he said.
I must have looked flummoxed

'A tutor, a chaperon, some one to guide and guard you' he said

'Do I really need...I mean after all' I said

'No I insist. It must be so. You will find a suitable Bear-Leader within three days. It is mandatory.' I blinked.

'You may go' said he.

Fumbling, nodding, clearing my throat I was shown to the exit.

Poseidon, Hieronymous and Norma Jean

Where have I been? Where have I been?

Well may you ask and indeed my silence has been long and profound.

Dear Friends, too much time has passed for a cursory reckoning of my doings.
Let me begin with the most notable news.

Having performed the office of Best Man to Xavier and his lovely bride Ariadne, I now find myself in an even more serious role. That of God Parent! Yes it's true, I am God Father to a delightful small fellow they have named Poseidon (of course).

This personage is small of stature, boomingly loud and large of appetite, he fills our vision from horizon to horizon's edge and beyond, we are all his subjects and he is our small Imperial Majesty and we adore him.


During his gestation I was out of the country on an adventure which was, in part, the reason for my long silence.

I have been in spheres Celestial and only heard of Xavier's impending fatherhood mere days before Poseidon appeared.

It all began with the Anonymous Patron sending me on another art junket. What was to have been a short story, became however, an epic tale and one which I shall divulge in due course.

Of note too in my absence, that crow, that partridge, that porcupine Hugo (Seneschal to the Anonymous Patron) has begun to romance Norma Jean with, of all things buttons, leaving little packets of them on her doorstep with fragranced notes of his appalling poetry, and she seems to like it! Still Hieronymous (her Axolotyl companion) and I are back now. But this brings me to the beginning of my travels, and why Hieronymous was with me and where we went...