//------------------------------// // Chapter 15 // Story: INSURANCE! a Grumpy Goat >tail< // by De Writer //------------------------------// After the funeral feast was done, I invited, “My Princesses, I would like to extend to you and your guard contingents an invitation to an ice cream social to be held up at my cave. I have perfected two things that I wish to share with you. “The first is a fine butterscotch topping for pastries and the like. The second is ice cream in the flavors of butterscotch, caramel, mint, apple, strawberry, cherry, peach, coffee and imported chocolate.” To her credit, Celestia was hesitating when a grinning Luna nudged her, “What else have we got to do? I mean besides going back to Canterlot and bunch of boring Court things and all of those trials under the Royal Wing?” Caramel Treat stuck her nose into the conversation by asking with interest, “Any chance of buying some of those recipes from you, Grumpy?” I had to snicker as I replied, “No chance at all of buying them, Caramel. I am giving hooves on instruction to Princess Luna and you, if you wish to join us! Free of charge.” That did it! Just as Clarence had predicted, Celestia was visibly drooling. She simply pulled out a magic net mirror and made a quick call. “Twilight! Guess what? Grumpy is holding an Ice cream social for us Royalty! Up at his cave! Do come, he has a big assortment of flavors for us to enjoy!” I was kind of giggling to myself, watching the party snowball like this! I was sure that Clarence was going to have fun! I saw Coalsmoke whispering something to Princess Luna, who grinned savagely and whipped out her big circular calculator and began whipping the sliding circles and hairline about! She promptly called over Constable Crager and gave him a note. He cantered off, saying, “I will get Daphne and see if Her Grace Heatherbloom and Baron Drandale can join us. We will be up to the cave as soon as we can!” Celestia asked Luna, “Why did you send Constable Crager? I could have called them on my mirror.” Chuckling in a dark way, Luna replied, “Oh, the note is for the bankruptcy court! Nox Eous’ shares in both CC&L and EQNB have become a debit for the bankruptcy court to collect. β219,283 gold, 6 silver and 5 to be precise. That means that his only way to pay for the bankruptcies is to yield over the titles of BOTH estates to the court!” Celestia gave a deep chortle as she reported, “As part of the EQNB audit, I had to run his account! In one single Secure Gold Transfer, just this morning, he dropped from β51,041 to β1,041! I wonder what that was about?” Seeing no point to concealment, I got out between bouts of giggles, “He paid it to me! He wanted me to cut Coalsmoke out of Noxon’s will! I only had to change a few words, to tighten it up because Noxon already did it to shelter Coalsmoke from the CC&L and EQNB crash that he could see coming!” To help preserve the memory of a good pony (not enough of those around, to my mind), I failed to mention that I had given Nox’s SGT to Mort to give to Coalsmoke and he was smart enough to keep it quiet too. Soon enough we were joined by Princess Twilight Sparkle, Duchess Heatherbloom, her consort, the amazing piper, Baron Drandale, and their Carlene Daphne Crager. Our merry little band set out for my cave. Twilight, trotting along side Luna, asked her, “Will Grumpy’s cave have room enough for us all? I mean, even your Royal Guards are coming.” Luna filled her in, “There will be one more guest. I am quite sure that he will make room for all of us. In this world, he goes by Clarence.” Twilight almost stopped where she was. “You mean that the Lord of the Dead will be there?” Luna nodded happily, “An old and cherished friend. It has been too long since I last had occasion to see him.” “But, Luna! You are immortal! Why would you be seeing, um, Clarence?” Quite gently, Luna replied, “Yes, I am. So are you, now, Twilight. However, most of those that we know and love are not. It is with Clarence’s help that I can still see and visit them.” Pursing her lips in thought, Twilight nodded, “I can see how that could be an important thing to know. Do you think that I could do that?” Shrugging, Luna answered, “I don’t know. Ask him politely and take whatever answer he gives.” Continuing up the trail, Twilight spent some time in deep thought. “I believe that I may indeed do that, Luna. Thank you.” We all got to my ledge without incident. Light was streaming out of my open front door! Clarence, every bone polished to a fine shine, greeted us all effusively! “Welcome, Your Highnesses and all! Preparing for your coming was so much fun!” One of Luna’s Royal Guards was heard to comment, “A party hosted by Death himself?” One of her veterans retorted, “What did you expect, signing into Luna’s Guard? This is practically normal, compared to some of the places she has taken us. Never forget that besides Princess Luna, we follow her when she chooses to be the Nightmare, too.”