((>.< Knew there was something I had to do))

"I hate to choose, but I have to admit, my favourite tale was that of Lady O'Daly."

((Has everyone voted yet? Should we PM those who haven't or something?))

((OOC: Everyone except for pinkgirl4real has voted. I had PMed her some time ago, and was planning to wait until after Xmas to PM her again; if she doesn't get her vote in soon, we'll have to choose without her--perhaps the Duchess had indulged in too much fine tokay and was unable to cast her vote due to the fact that she had discreetly fallen asleep!))

((OOC: Since pinkgirl4real hasn't voted, and as there is currently a four-way tie, the Baron will cast the tie-breaking vote!))

Baron Munchausen nodded in turn as his newfound companions proclaimed the teller of their favorite story--based, no doubt, upon a combination of the grandeur and amazingness of the tale and the jovial influence of Lord Kennicot's superlative tokay. (The company discreetely passed over the Duchess Catherine Franstin-Margerit, who kept her vote to herself, having succumbed both to imagination and wine and--in a very demure and lady-like manner, of course--fallen asleep.)

"It seems," said the Baron, "that we have a tie." He tapped his finger to his chin, considering the problem. "Considering the nobility of you, whom I already, in this short time of our meeting, consider friends of the highest caliber, as well as the unsurpassed incredibility of your adventures--and their unquestionable veracity--our impasse is entirely understandable. I shall take it upon myself, then, to cast the decisive vote. I assume that my reputation as a teller of tales and a nobleman of honor are sufficient bonafides to take upon myself this momentous responsiblity?"

As none of the company raised any objection, the Baron stood. "First, I must raise my glass and toast each and every one of you." He did so, replenishing his glass. "Such companions can only have been equalled in history by the Argonauts of legend. Let us also toast our host, the Lord Kennicot, who provided us with this opportunity to meet, with such inestimable hospitality, and, not least of all, with this supply of wonderful tokay. May his marriage to the Lady Orquidea last until the end of days!"

"Hear, hear!" cried the company in unison.

"We must not forget the Royal Family--several of whom, if I am not mistaken, are present here upon this joyous occasion--and their unerring navigation of the ship of state, tilting the rudder towards the twin seas of universal wealth and purity of values."

"Hear, hear! To the Royal Family!" The clinking of glasses echoed across the green.

"Of course, I am required not only by custom, but indeed by the judgment of my eyes and the strings of my heart, to praise the great and unqualified beauty of the bride, Beatriz Flávia Rosana Gabriela Violeta da Orquídea, the Lady Kennicot. Even Helen of Troy would envy the luster of her skin, the deep and limpid blue pools of her eyes, her graceful manner and her lovely air. To the Lady Kennicot!"

"To the Lady Kennicot!" If Lord Hogarth toasted the Lady with somewhat more enthusiasm than the rest of the company, it was overlooked.

"And, finally," said the Baron with a solemn demeanor, "I feel I must make one last toast, one that I am sure you will all agree cannot be overlooked. Let us raise our glasses and wet our lips in praise of the Lord Neptune, the Olympian monarch of the seas, without whom my own majestic, incredible, stirring, amusing, dramatic and in every possible way true beyond question story could not have taken place, let alone be related to you, to the pleasure and edification of all."

"To Lord Neptune!" This toast left everyone's glass dry, and as the final bottle of tokay was passed around, by providence or by chance there was just enough to fill each glass once more, for the Baron's final verdict.

"To point out the multifarious points of interest of each tale would, while not beyond my mental means, would tax my vocal chords beyond the point which this small amount of wine could inure. Thus, without ceremony or further ado, let me cast my vote for the story of the Apes of Gibraltar, told by the Duchess Miranda Cottington. May her adventures flourish, and may we all have the opportunity in the future to be regaled by stories of her deeds of renown!"

The Baron bowed deeply in the direction of the Duchess, and drained his glass to the last drop. He took her gloved hand and placed his lips upon it. The rest of the companions with much clamor applauded the Duchess, who blushed rose-pink and hid her face with her fan, but could not conceal her glee.

Upon rising again, the Baron tapped his finger upon the shoulder of a passing servant. "You dunderhead! Why haven't the cucumber sandwiches made their way to the gazebo here?"

((Congratulations FurryPanda! It was a hard choice, as everyone's story was so good and so much fun!))