E Mavis Fendrenger hailed from California. (And, yes, her first name is just "E".) Her family had made a fortune mining silver, gold, and zinc. She'd become fascinated with trains. She liked fire. Not that she simply liked burning things; she liked things that had fire, held fire, where somewhat akin to fire. And this would seem to indicate an aversion to, say, water. Because fire and water do not mix. Usually. It is said. But water is part oxygen, part hydrogen. And hydrogen holds fire. It was by way of this odd bit of nature and/or chemistry that E Mavis Fendrenger made the acquaintance of Sir Galmerd Horatio Bladdernut.