Chapter 3: Cuckoo in the Queen's Nest

After spending so much time in the Hedge, the Motley unilaterally decided to try and reconnect with their Human roots. Jaydee volunteered in a nursing home to bilk the inhabitants out of their pensions, and wound up on a date with a girl young enough to be his great-grandaughter. Flint found a new group that shared his interest in motorcycles, political activism, and race relations, the Suns of Violence. Sugar Plum Fairy spent the night with Pat... Somethingorother, but was unable to stay for breakfast, real important business, trust me. Ten came up with a plan to aid the homless by trading them money for their precious bodily fluids, eventually deciding it would be easier just to steal it from the blood bank at the hospital where he works. Spider said something about having to meat someone, somewhere. And Oak bought a car.

Eventually Flint decided to do something about the magical thread implanted in his chest. (See the last adventure: The Battle of Flatware Meadow.) Having no other resources, he turned to the vizier of the Summer Court, Edict. Who, by Hedge Logic, turned out to have exactly the magics neccessary to manipulate the threads and use them to take control of Flint's body. Quick thinking by Oak rescued Flint from Edict's clutches, but left the vizier at death's door. Hoping to save him, and themselves, they called Jaydee, who had returned the the Hedge, and then Ten, who attempted to inflitrate the Summer Queen's home under the guise of a first responder. After much planning, the two simply entered the Hedge through an available Door, and all four gathered back at the Hollow, leaving Oak's new car and Flint's new motorcycle with the Summer Queen's human guards. Realizing that while the Hollow was safe from prying magiks, it was also the first place people would look for them, the Motley saught sanctuary at a drinking establishment under the guardianship of Flint's new friends.

During this time, Sugar Plum Fairy ingraciated himself with the human members of the Summer Queen's staff, providing life coaching to a young maid, and a rememberance of the old country to the Matron. Upon the disappearance of Flint and Oak, Sugar was brought before the Summer Queen and subjected to scurrilous accusations. Quite truthfully, he informed the Queen that he had no knowledge of their whereabouts, and, also truthfully, that if anything had happened to members of his Motley, he was obliged to come to their aid. Confronted with with such unassailable logic, the Queen bid Sugar leave. He promptly sought the aid the Winter Queen.

Spider has yet to return.