One day long long ago last week a very keen and sharp witted woman sat criticizing the most famous colored man in the land to her mother when there was a knock at the door. Tired of the agonizing potential for the future, she said farewell and answered the other line.

"Hola!" She exclaimed to the mysterious caller.

"Hello" Said a woman who possessed dry nasally voice with a New York accent. "Is Jeremy available?"

"No he works during the day. Can I help you?"

"Is Jade McClenan available?" replied the old smoker standing over her cane.

"Yes"

"May I talk to her?"

The woman adorned in unusually bright colors said "This is she." While she wondered why people are so slow to catch on, especially around noon. Kids are usually with their tutors while most everyone else works. This odd sounding lady must be simply be slow.

"Oh! Good morn Jade!" For some reason the scraggly haired caller was surprised. Okay, so she wasn't slow per se. Thought the quick thinking girl. Her master who forced her to call at this time is slow and she's just dumb for asking for the employed person in the house.

"Hi."

"I am Annie from the Farm of State. The Earl in Arizona was doing his usual DHC checks and bid me to find why your license is suspended."

"What?" Am I slow? Did she just say my license is suspended? For how long has it been suspended? What did I do? No, she must be retarded and accidentally pulled out our file. She came all this way by accident. Thought the dark haired lady.

"We want to know why your license is suspended."

"I have no idea. What does it say on the record your Earl pulled?" asked Jade. All the while knowing this job was much too minuscule for an Earl.

"Oh, they don't have the details." explained the high pitched gravelly voice.

"Well, I don't know. To the best of my knowledge there's no reason it should be."

"It is. Would you please find out why." Asked the voice Jade was certain was really a witch sent by the colored man who thinks he could be a good King. She made this happen to my her day. Nobody really sounds like that. Besides she's too old to be called Annie. She must do that to distract the listener from her voice and make them believe she is a maid.

"Sure. How?"

"I don't know. Call on the DHC. When you figure it out send me the information please."

"OK. I'll do what I can."

Jade shut the door and grabbed her cloak and hood while she asked her mother to take her to call on the DHC as she was asked. The wait for an associate was surprisingly short. Just 7 minutes. It really must have been some sort of record.

"Department of Horse and Carriages, Licensing Division" Said the soothing mezzo-soprano on the other end of the handsomely adorned mahogany counter.

Who ever hired her was smart! Her voice automatically calms a person taking their attention away from this waste of taxes definitely approved by the Heir of Read. Decided sleuth like detective . "Good afternoon, I wanted to know why my license has been suspended."

The round face gave her a sympathetic look before asking for her license number. After giving the curly haired matron the information required. Jade settled in for a long wait. It wasn't necessary. The curly hired woman was back in very little time.

"I'm sorry to inform you that you will have to seek audience with the Viscountess of Records to obtain the information you seek. I shall escort you promptly."

Jade just nodded to the woman in the Viscountess' employ.

When they arrived at the door of the Viscountess one of her Lady's in Waiting met them explaining the Viscountess of records was ill and to seek her sister the Baroness of Records. The kindly woman was again directed to escort the young mother.

Apparently, whatever happened to warrant such action is so serious that only top level authorities have access to the information. This is a horrible sign. I will surely be condemned. Speculated the worried Lady.

They arrived at the Baroness' residence. While awaiting an audience Jade bade her servant to inquire at Parliament of any wrong doing that may be on record. [Okay, I know I just randomly made her a Lady so she can have a servant, but I don't feel like editing this much more, so Jade is now a Lady with a servant. Possibly several.] Before they entered the Baroness' chambers the servant returned reporting that there was nothing recent on record. The latest was two years past: riding an un-branded horse.

A Lady of the Baroness invited Jade to come to her chamber. [is her the antecedent of Lady or Baroness? Either way it's meant to be Baroness.] Jade made a deep curtsy fearing the stocks for the mysterious crime.

"Please sit." Invited the Baroness.

[sorry to do this, but I gotta go the baby's crying]