"Hmmm... What needs to be done today?  Guess it's time I was arranging the
retrieval of the infamous surcoat..." Kezia thought to herself as she
cleaned her teeth.

With that in mind, and while the rest of the CotK were getting up and
organising breakfast, she snuck down into the basement to the computer room
and logged on to post a coded message about a rare albino wallaby getting
cataract surgery(1)  to the Aboriginal People's Rock Art Trust, which once
decoded would be the instructions to Merc House Mommy Sara to phone her with
the 'news' that she had mysteriously 'located' the 'lost' surcoat... which
she'd hired Sara to purloin in the first place!

As she waited for a reply, Kezia mused idly, "Wonder if I ought to have an
angst attack over having stolen the surcoat...  Naahh!  Cousins don't do
angst....  What about having kept it so long?  Snigger....  Or Kyer getting
lost for so long in those dratted tunnels?  Hmph!  That's just fair
recompense for all the injuries the rest of us received - not to mention
poor Uppity!  <Satisfied sigh>  Think I'm getting the hang of this cousinly
stab-your-own-faction-members-in-the-back lark down nicely, thank you!
Wonder if the Cousins proper will let me play at CERK in the next War?

"NEXT War?  Kez, you have really lost it if you want to do this all over
again!  <G>  Ooh, I do hope so!"

Sara's reply interrupted  these idly idle musings before they could
disintegrate any further, and confirmed that she would be phoning the Comfy
Cottage shortly  to implement the next part of their plan.  Sure enough, an
hour later, as the CotK were clearing away the breakfast dishes, the phone
rang: being nearest, Andrea picked up the handset.

"Hi, this is Merc House Mommy Sara calling to say there's a package on its'
way over to the Comfy Cottage - something you ladies misplaced last
Saturday, I understand..."  she announced, hastily hanging up the phone
before any awkward questions could be asked... so she wouldn't have to
answer them!

"Kyer!  Everyone!  Come quick!  It's wonderful news - that Merc Kezia hired
has just phoned....  She's found the surcoat, and it's on its' way to us
now!"

Cheers greeted this announcement from seven of the Cousins of the Knight.
Not being an exuberant person, and after all that she'd been through the
last few days, Kyer couldn't manage to do more than smile weakly as she
collapsed.  It was indeed a fortunate coincidence that there was a nice big
sofa piled high with plump cushions right behind her....

Half an hour later, who should turn up at the door, but Jenieve's favourite
taxi driver, Stephano!   An awkward shaped bundle wrapped in newspaper was
tucked under his arm.

"Ciao, bella!  I bin a hired to bring-a dis parcel to da lovely ladies at da
Comfy Cottage!" he beamed at them.

While several of the CotK plied the Italian with coffee and muffins in the
kitchen, Kyer and Kezia laid the bundle on one of the common room's coffee
table and started to cut away the string holding it all secure.  A few
minutes later, Kyer was drooling at the sight of 'her' Nicolas de Brabant's
very own medieval surcoat.

Sigh!  "Pity we have to give it back so soon," Kyer muttered despondently.
"I so wanted the time to have it copied so I could wear one of my own...
Better yet!  We could all have one of our own!"  she finished, almost
cheerfully.

Cousinly tendancies or not, Kezia was feeling a twinge or two of guilt....
Then inspiration struck!   "Be right back!  Don't do anything with this
surcoat till I get my stuff gathered together!"

Five minutes later she was back, after two trips to assemble her digital
camera, two desk lamps for extra illumination, a notepad and pen, and the
enchanting reproduction huswife a friend had given her at her last birthday.
Kezia pulled the lid off the fabric covered 4" cube, allowing the four outer
walls and the four diagonally-sited inner walls to fall outwards, revealing
a very complete, yet compact needlewoman's kit.

"Okay, here's the plan...."

"We got a plan?" Kyer rejoined, mystified - this was the Cousins of the
Knight we're talking about, after all!

"The plan....  I know this really good armourers back home in
Hertfordshire....  We take lots of pictures with my digital camera -
close-ups, long shots, surcoat laid out flat, surcoat on wearer, etc.  We
take lots of measurements of the surcoat, and then the same set of
measurements for you - and anyone else who wants a copy made.  After the
war, when I go back home, I'll commission copies from the armourers!"

"Kewl!  A plan - and one that ought to work, too!  How much will they cost?"

"Ahhhh!  I was hoping you wouldn't ask that one....  Haven't a clue!  Best I
can say is 'somewhere in the region of a few hundred pounds sterling' - plus
shipping costs from the UK to the US of A.  But they're one of the best -
remember *the* series about Robin Hood from the 80s - they did all the
armour and weapons for the show! <G>" (2)

By the time all the photos and measurements for Kyer were completed,
Stephano had reluctantly left to collect his next passenger, and the rest of
the CotK were soon gathered round to admire the surcoat that had caused them
so much grief, and, in several cases, to have their own set of measurements
taken.

(1)  It's true!  He's a young joey, born a few months ago at a British zoo,
and they really do plan to do cataract surgery to save his sight - when I
spotted this on the news a few days ago I knew I *had* to use it! <G>

(2)  Also true - this company really does exist in Hertfordshire, and really
did do all the weapons and armour for a certain 1980's show about Robin
Hood....  I'm sure you all know which one, even if crossovers are not
allowed!