A Famous Fictional Character In The Wrong Story [FICTOID]

“Then there is the very curious incident of the stock market panda,” Holmes said.

“What are you babbling about?” asked Asz-asz, the queen of Venus.

“The stock market,” said Holmes.  “Where the wealthy exchange and barter goods.”

“You mean like an armory?”

Holmes sucked deeply on his long empty meerschaum pipe, having smoked the last of his tobacco weeks ago.

“The stock market,” he repeated.  “Where speculators bet on future fortunes.”

“Oh, you mean a gambling parlor.”

Holmes almost corrected her but smiled instead.  “Yes, precisely like that,” he said.

“I don’t frequent low class dives like that,” said Asz-asz.  “I have standards to maintain.”

A trumpet sounded and an ensemble of guards marched into the throne room, dropped smartly to one knee, and saluted.

“The mountain brigands have captured the Earth doctor,” their leader said.  “The boss of the brigands says he will execute him unless we turn over the big blue box.”

Queen Asz-asz looked sharply at Holmes; Holmes was studying the leaves of a Venusian flower.  I wonder if I could smoke this?  Might be too tangy…

Queen Asz-asz cleared her throat.  “Well…?”

“’Well’ what?”

“Aren’t you going to rescue your friend?”

“Oh, Watson is quite all right.  This is a Doctor Who serial we’ve been dropped in.  Nothing bad will happen until the last chapter.”

© Buzz Dixon