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    The parents collaborate on their game plan after Ignatius has left. You'll be relieved to know that there will be a change of scene next week. This is the last we'll see of the basement of The tré for a while.

    Our word for the week: foxed - in this context, to baffle or deceive. As a child, my sister would taunt me with "Foxed your box!"

    All three pictures were drawn from scratch. I usually use Blender for proportion or perspective, but as the only picture with two characters was the one with Slide and Sandra, it wasn't really necessary. Hmm, seem to be getting the hang of this art thingy. I did use Blender as a basis for the trunk (but not the boxers). However, it was easier to draw the trunk rather than render it as a background. All told, I spent about eight hours on the artwork for this. And, believe it or not, almost all of it was drawn at 30,000 feet. Did I mention that I travel far too much?


Drawing completed - 18 July 2009
Drawing posted - 09 SEP 2009

20 JUNE 2001 Wednesday - 1640
Page 42
The tre' Basement


    The parents stood silent for a minute.

    "I'm not much good with tools," Slide admitted. "I mean, I do models and such, but nothing involving intricate machinery."

    "I know how to swing a maul," Pete admitted. "That box ain't gonna stand up to me an' a twenty-pounder for too long."

    "I think we should use that as a last resort," Sandra suggested. "If we break it so that it doesn't open properly, the children could be trapped or injured."

    "Sandra's pretty handy," Slide mentioned. "She's picked locks before."

    "Slide!" Sandra scolded. "Honestly, you'll have everyone thinking I'm a common criminal. And besides, I didn't 'pick the lock.' I just took the damned thing apart and it opened right up."

    "It had me foxed for hours," Slide admitted.

    "What was behind this lock, if I might be so bold?" asked Gina.

    "Oh, one of Old Man Simon's trunks," Sandra dismissed. "Spent hours cracking that thing open and the most valuable thing was the trunk itself. Nothing but century-old pants and a few bits and bobs. A bunch of meaningless papers."

    "There was his diary," Slide recalled. "Sandra, why don't we both go to the house? You can get your kit and try your hand at this one. I'll see if I can find some sort of clue in the diary or his other papers."
All material copyright Grim, 2009. No unauthorized use. Survivors will be prosecuted.