Well, the ballroom has been scrubbed and polished, the cooks are busily laying in more food of one description or another, and the musicans are warmed up and ready to go (just as soon as they can determine if this royal IOU is good for anything). His Majesty de St. Maurice would like to take this time to wish all of you in this realm of imagi-nations, and your vassels of course, a Happy New Year.