Polly Pippin and The Tunnel of Death (12 page)

'I'll come with you.' Barbara started to
stand.

Polly pushed her back down. 'I don't need
anyone to hold my hand Barbara,' she said, and she grabbed her bag
and walked out of the dining room.

'Oh dear. I think I said the wrong thing
Ali, is she still in love with Piers?'

But the answer did not come back, as both
the girls were grabbed from behind and whisked up to the other end
of the table, where Commander Pope who was cloned to look like
Great-Uncle Vee was holding court.

He looked round the table. Alison, Barbara,
Lily, Lucy and Miles were chatting and obviously enjoying the
dinner. Zack and Knox were keeping their distance and had only
really talked to Hamish. I will have to warn them to be friendly to
everyone the Commander thought. The Liddles nearly gave the game
away, jumping all over them. Thank goodness no one noticed. I'll
give Brad a mirror, and he'll be happy. Polly… it seems she has
gone home. As for Piers, he has decided not to come. He's bloody
stubborn just like his father. I will just have to add fuel to the
fire and try and keep them apart. It would suit me if Brad the
idiot could get Polly to marry him.

~

The door to the dining room suddenly
opened.

'Ah finally, my friends.' Great-Uncle stood
to welcome the two new guests. 'Come. Come and meet my family and
their friends.'

Brad looked up and went as white as a sheet,
and the Rebel who had taken Hamish's place had a smile on his face
to beat all smiles, as in walked Commander Rekrap and Captain
Bean.

Polly, Piers and the Rebels

Polly decided to go home, and crept out of
the hotel the back way. The last thing she felt like doing was
celebrating. It had all started so well, and then Piers didn't
arrive, so Miles was embarrassed, and then things went from bad to
worse. Great-Uncle Vee was very strange - not a bit like when
they'd had lunch at home, it was like he was a different person.
And as for Hamish, he was either sick in the head or rolling drunk.
The boys' twins were strange and not at all friendly. It was hard
looking at Zack with Piers exact face and disliking him. Also
because Piers hadn't turned up, everyone felt sorry for her, so sod
it.

She walked into the empty house and called
for the Liddles, and then she remembered they had sneaked into the
hotel in the handbags and spent most of the time dancing on the
table, entertaining Zack and Knox. The house did not have the usual
feeling of warmth and comfort, so Polly was glad when the phone
rang.

'Polly, it's me - Piers. I'm sorry I behaved
so badly. I was outside the hotel and followed you home. I thought
you had spotted me diving and ducking. It's hard to follow someone
on a Harley and not being seen.' Polly did not answer, so Piers
continued. 'Can I come in? I have really missed you.'

'Why not?' Polly said, trying to sound
flippant. 'There's still some food left in the cottage after the
party, and it's cosy in there.'

Piers let out a sigh of relief so loud it
could have been heard a mile away.

'The front door is open. You know the way.
See you in the crypt, and we'll go on to the cottage together.'
Polly smiled. 'And by the way…' Her voice warmed.

'Yes?'

'I'm glad you rang.'

'Me too. See you in two ticks.' He was off
his motorbike and running up the front drive as fast as he could
before she changed her mind. He took the steps two at a time and
entered the house just in time to see Polly disappear down the
stone steps into the crypt.

~

"What the hell are we doing back in the
cottage?' Event raved as he looked round at the remnants of the
party.

'It was that idiot Rekrap and his idiot
Captain Bean. He must have left one of the ray infusers on, and it
blasted us.'

'I didn't ask you how we got here. I know
that. I asked why,' Event shot back. He was as angry as he had ever
been in his life. 'And don't bother to tell me,' he cut Salute off.
'I already know.'

'Well you had better tell me. I'm damned if
I know.'

'In the Rebel Handbook, it states. If anyone
is hit with the love ray, it takes him back to the place he loves
most.'

'So we love the cottage most?' Salute looked
as if Event had lost the plot.

'Quiet you idiot. Someone is coming down the
garden path.'

Making as much noise as they possibly could
without trying, Commander Rekrap and Captain Bean appeared in the
doorway.

'I thought I'd find you here, sorry I left
the love ray on and you got zapped.'

'That's okay.' Says Event, want a drink,
there's some left after the party.'

Event and Salute were laughing at all
Commander Rekraps dreadful jokes, while at the same time trying to
find out what the Dark Universe was up too. They looked up as Polly
opened to door.

She was surprised to see men in the cottage,
but they were part of the film crew, so she greeted them with a
smile.

'How's the film going?' she asked as she sat
on the arm of the sofa. 'I hear we have a new sponsor.'

As usual, before anyone could say a word,
Commander Rekrap blurted out. 'It's me, it's me. I'm Percival
Rekrap, and you must be Polly.'

~

'Polly, hello, hello,' Piers called as he
followed Polly. She did not reply or even turn her head. 'Polly
wait, wait. Polly, this is not funny. Come on, wait for me.'

He stood in the center of the crypt and
looked round. 'Polly, I don't know if you have changed your mind
about seeing me, but at least have the decency to come out and tell
me why. I really don't feel like playing play hide-and-seek.' Where
is she? He thought. Why would she invite me in and then change her
mind? It doesn't make sense. She mentioned the cottage. Well he
would go and have a look, and if she isn't there, he would go home
and cross her off his Christmas card list.

~

He walked to the door that led to the
garden, and when it did not open, he put his shoulder to it, and it
gave way. The garden wasn't a bit like he remembered it. The few
plants and trees that were left were withered and dead looking, and
the cottage looked desolute. He called again - still no reply. He
debated whether to go back. He wasn't even sure if Polly had come
this way. But he was curious, so he walked towards the cottage. As
he got nearer, he could hear voices and music. It sounded like a
party. He rubbed his eyes. The cottage started to look better. The
paint on the walls looked brighter, and the windows were sparkling
clean, so by the time he got to the door, it looked brand new. As
we always do when the unexplained happens, we shake our heads and
think we are seeing things. He opened the door and called Polly as
he stepped into the cottage.

It was obvious he was not impressed when he
saw Polly sitting with four men.

'Oh, I'm sorry. I thought… I mean, I did not
know… I mean, sorry. I'll come back another time.' And Piers
started to retreat.

'No,' said Polly. 'I'm sorry Piers. I did
not know some of the film crew would be here. Come in Piers and
after we've had a cup of something, we can leave.' She directed her
next question at the men, who were sitting quite comfortably on the
sofa. 'Are you guys staying long?'

'Well,' said the Commander, 'we do have a
lot to discuss. And I'm quite hungry, and I personally would like
to know your thoughts on the new script.'

Piers looked thunderous. Polly had obviously
invited him here to rub his nose in it. He was immediately red-hot
angry. 'I'm going,' he said angrily and started towards the
door.

'Wait, young man. If you had a choice of
where you would like to be right now, where would it be?' asked
Commander Rekrap.

'The farthest point away from here,' Piers
answered angrily.

'Rekrap remembered where the Rebel storm
trooper said Hamish was.

'That will do,' he said to himself. 'Iceland
it is.' And Piers disappeared out of the door. 'Now Event, Salute,
let's have something to eat.'

Polly sat. She could not believe Piers had
left, and he was so angry. It wasn't her fault, she had no idea the
film crew were in the cottage. Come to think of it, she'd heard
those names Event and Salute before, but where? Try as she might,
she could not recall where.

Commander Rekrap was absolutely charming,
and Polly really liked him. She asked what Captain Bean did and was
told he was of no consequence. She was asked if she would like to
change the script. Whilst Event and Salute were in the kitchen
preparing the food, they whispered to each other.

'I suppose our cover has been blown. Even
Rhettnor did not know we were under deep cover, pretending we had
changed sides to spy.'

'It wasn't us. Rekrap the bungler did it, he
hasn't a clue about anything,' Salute retorted.

'Yes, but we can't let Polly get hurt. If
Rekrap forgets for one moment he is the filmmaker extraordinaire
and remembers she is his mortal enemy, he will likely attack her,
de-pneuma her and send her to Yrotagrup.'

They all sat round like old friends, eating
the delicious food Event and Salute had whisked up. After all the
food was gone, Polly said she was tired and going to bed. It was
really an excuse to ring Piers to explain. Commander Rekrap told
Captain Bean to walk Polly to the house, which he willing did. He
had fallen a little bit in love with her.

'I'm so excited about this movie,' Commander
Rekrap enthused. 'That Brad what's-his-name is ever so famous.' He
chuckled. 'I really enjoy being a bigwig in the movie
industry.'

'According to Steve, making a movie was just
a ploy to get into the house,' Salute said.

'It started that way, but we are all
enjoying ourselves so much, we have put the takeover of Earth on
hold till the movie is finished.' Commander Rekrap said.

Event and Salute looked at each other and
decided with Rebels like Commander Rekrap running the war, the
Rebels would definitely lose.

'By the way, where have you sent Piers, that
friend of Polly's?' Event asked.

'Actually, it's such a laugh. Remember what
the Rebel double of Hamish said when they changed places?'

'Sort of,' Event said. It was news to them
and they listed carefully, up till now they had no idea Hamish had
been captured and a Rebel was wandering round posing as him.

'Well, that lad is on his way to Iceland. I
sent him there. He can keep Hamish company. What a joke. It'll
freeze his bottom off. Hope he likes it, because he will be there
forever, haha. Now where is that idiot Bean? I'm tired. Bean, get
here at once. Is that little girl safely tucked in bed? Good.' And
on that note, the two Rebels disappeared.

Salute breathed a sigh of relief. 'Commander
Rekrap will kick himself when he remembers he had Polly in his
power and he let her go. True, she is safe in bed now and none the
wiser, but Piers is in Iceland.'

Event flopped back on the sofa. 'Get your
winter long johns on Salute. Iceland, here we come.'

~

Polly went straight to sleep, woke the next
day and remembered she had met whom she thought was the film crew
and one of the major sponsors in the cottage.

'Ali, Ali! Are you awake? I have something
exciting to tell you. Meet you in the kitchen.'

I'm in! The sponsor likes me, she thought.
Now try to get rid of me, Mr Steve Bloody Smith. But her happiness
was tempered with her thoughts of Piers. He would never forgive her
now, she was sure.

Iceland

Piers opened his eyes, and he was in the
coldest place he had ever been in his life. Has the end of the
world happened, or am I dreaming? He thought. Either way, I can't
stay here. He looked all round, and in the distance, he saw a shack
of sorts and decided to head for it, it was his only chance of
survival. As he trudged through the snow, he tried to recollect
what had happened. I rang Polly, and she invited me round, she
seemed happy I had rung. I thought we would be alone when she
suggested the cottage, and I was really pleased. When I eventually
got there I couldn't believe it - the bloody film crew were there.
She must have known. I will never forgive her, never. If ever see I
her again, I'll… I'll… Leaving that thought in a very dark place,
he reached the door of the shack.

The door opened easily, and he cautiously
walked in. The place was empty except for a few sacks in a corner
and old rope hanging on a hook on the wall. A three-legged stool
was right in the middle of the shack. He was full of despair as he
sank onto the stool and shouted. 'Where the hell am I?'

Immediately, voices and banging came from
beneath his feet.

'Help! Help!'

'It can't be. Hamish, is that you?'

'Yes, it's me - Hamish. There's a trap door
somewhere, and we are right underneath it.'

Piers sprang into action. He looked round,
pulled the sacks out of the way and lifted a very heavy trap door.
He looked down to see Hamish and another man looking up at him as
if he was the saviour himself.

'Give us a hand up,' Hamish asked, and after
Piers had pulled him up, they both reached down and pulled up
Xavier.

With perfect timing it seemed, Event and
Salute had located the place where Commander Rekrap said he had
sent Piers, and they burst in through the door.

Xavier shoved Hamish and Piers behind him.
'So you are behind this, you, you… traitors.'

'Wait a bit, Xavier. We're not traitors. We
were working undercover till that idiot Rekrap bungled it,' Event
said.

'Really,' Xavier answered sarcastically.
'Then how come Rhett knows nothing about it?'

'Because… I can't tell you.'

'You can't tell me, and I am a Senior
Freeflyer.'

'Yes, you're entitled to know, but…' and
Event nodded towards the boys.

'Fair enough.' Xavier motioned Event and
Salute outside and closed the door behind them.