DISCLAIMER:
Pryde and Wisdom, Excalibur and the X-Men all are trademarks of Marvel Comics. The background characters mentioned (Brigadier Ferguson, his Scotland Yard deputy and his man Dillon) are of course Brigadier Charles Ferguson, Chief Inspector Hannah Bernstein and Sean Dillon from Jack Higgins' series of thriller novels (including "On Dangerous Ground", "Angel of Death", "Drink with the Devil", "The President's Daughter").

This story is a wholly unauthorized work done purely for my own personal enjoyment, and is not intended to infringe on any of their rights in or profits from these characters. But this story is copyright to me.

WARNING:
There is no explicit sex or violence in this story, but there is some considerable mention of adult material such as alcoholism and murder. So be warned...

BRIEF EXPLANATION:
I started this series soon after Excalibur #92 (Pete vs Pete), and have made no effort to keep this within more recent Marvel continuity. In particular, I am ignoring the whole Onslaught/Dark Xavier mess, and Dark Beast, also. Xavier in this story may be dark, but it's his own fault; I don't accept Onslaught as an excuse for Xavier to act like a jerk. I'm treating Logan as basically normal, I just don't feel up to writing feral Wolverine. I'm also ignoring Betsy and the Crimson Whatever. And I've also ignored a lot of little things Ellis has done with Pryde and Wisdom since then, not because I don't accept them (I revere Ellis as gospel), but because it would involve too much minor revision.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
I'd like to thank several people who've helped with this, especially Kaylee and Leary.

MISCELLANEOUS:
This is one story in a series of loosely-plotted stories entitled "Idylls of the Cat" that are mostly Pryde and Wisdom, and the others' reaction to Kitty's new relationship. Most of the stories in the series are not action or adventure, they're mainly sex and/or conversations, like this one. Other stories in the series so far include

• The Day After the Night Before (Pryde&Wisdom)
• Vigil (Excalibur)
• Pulling their Fat out of the Fire (Excalibur/Hellblazer)
• Time Goes By (Excalibur)
• Bearing Tidings of Joy (Excalibur/Storm)
• You Can't Go Home Again (Excalibur/X-men)
• Close Encounters of the Lethal Kind (Excalibur/X-men/DV8/Hellblazer)
• Warning: Good Habits May Be Hazardous to Your Love Life (Excalibur)
• What God Has Joined Together (Pryde&Wisdom/X-Files)
• Drugs, Spies and Videotape (Pryde&Wisdom/Puck/Rocky&Bullwinkle)
• All Nice and Gift-Wrapped (Pryde&Wisdom)
• Strawberry Shortcake (Pryde&Wisdom)
• Dark Reflections (Excalibur/Black Air)
• The Shadow of A Starless Night (X-men/Excalibur)
• The Glow of a Starlit Dawn (Pryde&Wisdom)
• Misplaced Pryde (Hellfire Club/X-Men/Hellions/New Mutants/Black Air/Excalibur)

These stories are all very kindly being archived by Lori McDonald on her webpage at http://web2.spydernet.com/lori/x-men.htm

These stories can also now be found on my own webpage at http://home.att.net/~lubakmetyk/

If you want to comment, send email to <luba@lubakmetyk.net>

Continued in Prologue...