A Gathering of Characters!

Welcome to the 11th meeting of the

Character Book Club!

Fairday Morrow ☞ Lizzy Mackerville ☞ Marcus Brocket

The DMS sits down with Kate and Hallo from the The Deliverers Series by Gregory Slomba

Roundtable Feature:

Order of the Crystal Lion by Gregory Slomba

We are so excited for this meeting of the Character Book Club! In attendance today are the current members of the Detective Mystery Squad, more commonly known as the DMS. Fairday, Lizzy, and Marcus are joined by Kate and Hallo from The Deliverers Series. We are happy for the chance to get to learn a little more about them and find out what these colorful characters think about things! So, without further ado, let the meeting commence...

Lizzy:  Kate and Hallo, it's so cool to have you here today. We have lots of questions ready for you guys. Kate- you are the only female member of the Deliverers. Is that hard? You never seem concerned about it, but I didn’t know if it was because you didn’t care or you were just really good at hiding your emotions.

Kate:  It doesn’t usually bother me, but I have to admit that sometimes it can get to be annoying. Sometimes, Eric has be a pain in the neck. Don’t get me wrong, he’s usually nice, but sometimes he can be so clueless. On the whole, though, I don’t have many issues with any of them.

Fairday: You two met on your first assignment and seemed to get along really well on your second one. Since you are both from Calendria, did you spend any time together after the Deliverers finished their last assignment?   

Hallo: Oh sure. Kate’s the daughter of the Lord Mayor of Calendria, and she’s trainin’ t’ be his successor, don’t ya know. I’m the Dwarf Kingdom’s official ambassador, so our paths cross a lot. Even if things were different, we’d still find time t’ get together. We’re thick as thieves—the best of friends. I only wish it were as easy for us t’ see Eric and Stig, but we’ll be seein’ ‘em again on our next Assignment, don’t ya know.

Marcus: You had to spend a lot of time down in the tunnels on this assignment. I know Hallo is used to being underground, but how did you both really feel about traveling through sewers over and over again? I know I’d want to shower right away!

Kate: Marcus, you’re so right! Ughh, just thinking of that smell makes me want to retch. I could not get to a bath fast enough. It really was horrible, but I have to admit that traveling through the sewers was necessary and useful. If Cy and Chunk had not taken us down there, I don’t think we would have had any chance of successfully completing our Assignment.

Hallo: Well now, I think Kate might be exaggeratin’ the smell just a wee bit. She’s a bonnie lass don’t ya know, but maybe just a wee bit squeamish. Anyhew, I was right glad t’ get down in them tunnels. They came in right handy. Theen again, it ain’t no surprise. Like I always say, things ‘re always better underground.

Lizzy: The first Deliverers assignment was in your homeland, Calendria. This assignment was in another world. Did you let anyone know you were leaving on an assignment or did you just go? If you told your family, was it hard to say goodbye?

Hallo: Well now, these here Assignments don’t seem t’ take any time at all in our world. It’s almost like time stands still while we’re gone. So ya see, we don’t have t’ do any explainin’ or good byein’ which is convenient. Course, it’s always tough leavin’ when ya ain’t sure you’ll be comin’ back in one piece, but I try not t’ think of stuff like that if I can avoid it.

 

Calendria

Kate: My papa knows that I go on Assignments and he is very supportive. He hopes that they will teach me lessons that will be useful when I become the Lady Mayor of Calendria. I think I have, too. Like Hallo, it’s hard to leave with no assurance that I’ll ever come back. Then again, I’m excited to go, too, because I know I’ll be seeing Eric and Stig—and the Gatekeeper, too. They’re all really good friends and I miss them when I’m home.

Fairday: Immobilizers were a new tool that you were able to use to try to freeze or stop the bad guys. I loved them as soon as I heard about them and think they could come in handy on a case or two that the DMS has worked on. Were the immobilizers hard to use and did you get to take any with you when you left? Did you like them as much as I did?

Kate: Oh Fairday, I’d think they’d be perfect for the DMS when you’re on the case. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring any back with us. The Gatekeeper does not want us taking things from world to world unless it’s absolutely necessary. I thought the immobilizers were fantastic. They got us out of a couple of uncomfortable situations in Vynistra City. They were really easy to use as long as you remember to shake them before twisting them open.

Hallo: Them things was right sharp little gadgets, don’t ya know. I sure wish we’d had ‘em on the first Assignment. Come t’ think of it, they’d come in right handy on any Assignment, I bet.

Marcus: Trying to help restore peace between the Vynistri and the Chazum was dangerous. What was the scariest part for you?

Kate: Well, I think Stig getting shot was the scariest part of the whole thing for me. It really brought home to me the fact that Assignments aren’t safe and that there’s no guarantee that things will go smoothly and turn out okay.

Hallo: Yeah, well that was scary, I’ll admit. For me, though, I’d have t’ say Chancellor Trelango was one sly customer. He was always causin’ trouble. Either he was takin’ someone prisoner or he was turnin’ folk inta all sorts of unnatural things with that there Machine of his. Give me the shivers just t’ think of it.

Marcus: I know you two never know where you are going until you get called to the Hallway of Worlds and the Gatekeeper lets you know what he needs you to do. Do you spend a lot of time wondering about your next assignment? Any guesses where you might go next?

Kate: Well Marcus, it’s funny you should ask because we’ve just returned from a third Assignment.

Hallo: Yeah, it was a real barnburner. We had t’ traipse across a chain of islands called the Dragon Islands tryin’ t’ unravel a mystery and save a world.

Kate: It was very exciting and a little scary, too. We can’t tell you much about it, but it involves a mysterious riddle, lost children, ninja-like assassins, living stone warriors and a legendary dragon. Oh yes, and we find out something very important about the sparkling mist from the Vynistra City Assignment. Eric tells me that Greg, our author, will be ready to share The Golden Dragon of Ang in the next couple of months.

Lizzy: If you guys could transform into something else, what would you want to be?

Kate: Wow, I always love the questions you guys ask. I think I would live to be able to turn myself into an owl or a bird and fly. Stig has described what it’s like and I’d really love to be able to experience that on my own. It must be such a liberating feeling.

Hallo: Hmmm. I ain’t ever given it much thought before. I guess I’d have t’ say a shape shifter. Then I could be whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. That would be right nice.

Fairday: Definitely! If you were each granted 3 wishes, what would you wish for?

Hallo: I’d wish for three more wishes! Haw, haw, bet ya ain’t heard that before!

Kate: Oh Hallo, don’t be so silly. Let’s see, three wishes. Well, I’d wish I could transform into a bird whenever I wanted to. Then, I think I’d wish to be able to visit Eric and Stig on their worlds whenever I wanted. Then I’d wish that my mother was still alive. That would make Papa and me so happy.

Hallo: Oh, er, um, sorry ‘bout that. I didn’t know you were gonna get all serious on me an’ all. I s’pose I’d wish for a boatload of gold an’ gems, ‘cause I’m a dwarf an’ that’s what we do. Then, I’d want t’ be able t’ visit Eric an’ ol’ Birdie anytime I wanted. For m’ last wish I’d wish t’ bee taller. I’m happy bein’ a dwarf from the Dwarf Kingdom under the Iron Mountains, but just once I’d like t’ be able t’ see what’s on top of the refrigerator, don’t ya know.

DMS: Okay guys! Thanks so much for hanging out with us today. We can't wait to hear about your next cool adventure. : ) 

Kate: It was a lot of fun. I hope we get a chance to get together again soon.

Hallo: Yeah, it was a real hoot. You Detective Mystery Squadders ‘re good folk. Thanks for havin’ us over an’ all. Have a good one!

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