Chrístõ in the Underworld was inspired by a series of finely drawn pictures of fairies that I came across, particularly one where the fairy seemed to be lifting a man up with her into the air. I had the idea of people who would fly like fairies but would be human sized.

Since this was a story in which only Chrístõ and Humphrey feature, I made them an underground world where Humphrey could accompany him in the exploration. From there came the idea of a people with a symbiotic relationship with their queen, so that when she is ill they are ill, and curing her would cure all of them.

Chrístõ, of course, takes only a very little time to work out that lead poisoning is the problem and to find a way to deal with it. He treats the fairy princess and then goes in search of the source of the poison. Silver mines, are, in fact, notorious for that sort of pollution. Lead and silver go together. And as I have already said that Chrístõ’s family’s wealth comes from mining precious metals and gems, he would know that.

Chrístõ falling a little in love with the princess because of her natural pheromones that seduce him, is incidental to the story. He is never so completely smitten that he forgets his true purpose. But since he is, at this time, free of emotional commitments, the little holiday from reality, enjoying the princess’s company, was perfectly allowable. I just wanted the image of him stroking her wings and the one of him flying with her at the party, later, to be a part of the story.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_poisoning

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelation_therapy