The Curious Tale of Panache and the League of the Moderators

[Panache]

The Curious Tale of Panache and the League of the Moderators

A Victorian Tale of High Adventure related in Chapters

Prologue

(Clipping from the San Jose Mercury News January 31, 2007)

Flying Squirrel Sighted in Cambrian Park

Several children reported seeing some type of flying rodent in a local Cambrian Park Sunday morning.
The children saw a small squirrel-like animal with grey brown fur on top with darker flanks and cream colored belly. The creature had large dark eyes and a flattened tail. It was seen gliding between branches of a large oak tree. A concerned parent contacted Animal Control who in turn asked for assistance from the San Francisco Zoo in identifying the creature. Zoo Veterinarian Dr. Ima Pseudonym arrived at the scene and though unable to find the animal itself did succeed in discovering a recently abandoned nest in the hollow of the oak that may have been the animal’s shelter.

Dr. Pseudonym told this reporter that from the children’s descriptions “the animal would seem to be a a Southern flying Squirrel, Glaucomsoys volans one of two species of the genus Glaucomys, the only flying squirrels found in North America (the other is the somewhat larger Northern flying squirrel, G. sabrinus). It is found in deciduous and mixed woods in the eastern half of North America. It is illegal to bring these animals into California though they are kept as pets in other areas of the country. More curious than the animal’s presence so far west of it’s usual territory is the strange nest it would seem to have made. This animal had lined it’s nest entirely with scraps of wool plaid cloth, specifically the Galbraith and Mcleod of Lewis tartan . Furthermore, and stranger still, deep within the nest was a neatly written manuscript.”

The flying squirrel has not be seen since. It is still unknown how it came to San Jose or why it had a tartan lined nest. The manuscript is a pastiche of a Victorian adventure written in chapters. Such books were referred to as “Chap books” or derogatorily as “Penny Dreadfuls”. The title “The Curious Tale of Panache and the League of the Moderators” sheds little light onto the incident. Anyone sighting the flying squirrel is advised to contact San Jose Animal Control….


To be continued...