The Secret Invasion of Port Isabel (12 page)

Flossy was
livid with anger about what she had learned at the quay. Harry and
Sally had been taken by the pirates, right from under their noses.
Sergeant Boar had prevented Larry from stopping them and Assam had
hid in the shadows instead of untying Stanley so he could run for
help. She had become very fond of Harry in the short time she’d
known him and he was the only way she could be reunited with her
parents. The black boar had tied up Larry who would have stopped
the pirates dead in their tracks. Stanley may have been able to
bring back help in time if Assam had untied him rather than
worrying about his own cowardly hide. Now it was too late, Harry
and Sally were somewhere at sea held captive by blood-thirsty
canines. There was no hope of escape, little for rescue. She of all
people, having been held hostage for months herself, knew exactly
what kind of danger they were in. The only reason they had been
taken rather than killed was because they were useful in some way.
In Harry’s case, Pirate Pratt would have a particularly nasty
revenge in mind. He would need to make an example of Harry or he
would be barked out of the pirate fraternity. He would want
everyone to know that he had the last laugh. Tragically, Sally
would probably already have been eaten. The pirates had a ravenous
appetite and little opportunity for fresh meat.

Stanley was
trotting across the beautiful compass rose mosaic set into the
floor when Sergeant Boar emerged from the open doors leading to the
Hall of Deliberation. He looked pleased, even a little smug. When
Stanley reached him, he reared up on its hind legs and kicked out
with his forelegs. The black boar dodged easily but then slipped on
the wet floor, stumbled and landed flat on his surprised face, fat
bottom conveniently poking up in the air.

‘This is for
Harry!’ yelled Flossy, who had already drawn her sword. With one
mighty stroke she brought the flat of the sword down upon the
boar’s rump with all her strength. The slap was like a
thunderclap.

The Sergeant
squealed, his eyes round like dinner plates as he searched
desperately for the grievous wound. Having found only a red mark
from the slap of steel he struggled to his feet on the slippery
floor, lurched forward and cannonballed wildly from the hall. He
only just reached the top of the stairs when the stampede of rhinos
returning from the quay hit him head on.

Flossy, mad as
a scorpion and determined to find a way to rescue her friends, rode
into the Hall of Deliberation and boldly approached the dais. She
dismounted before Stanley had stopped, carelessly dropped Assam
from her back, and arranged her damp clothes and hair as best she
could. One of the big rhinos trotted to a stop behind her,
breathing hard.

‘You may
approach, Flossy Fairweather Human. You also, Captain Rhino,’ said
the Mayor.

Stanley moved
aside as Flossy and the big rhinoceros stepped forward. The captain
was squinting in the bright light of the hall. His flanks were wet
from the rain.

‘Report,
Captain,’ ordered the Mayor.

‘Sir, Harry
Possum and Sally Sloth could not be found. We released Stanley
Horse with Miss Human’s assistance and have brought back Assam
Tortoise for interrogation. We saw no pirates.’

‘Thank you,
Captain,’ said the Mayor.

Captain Rhino
stepped back, dipping his armoured horns respectfully.

‘We are glad
to see you safe and well, Stanley Horse,’ said the Mayor, smiling.
The Mayor faced Flossy. ‘I presume that is Assam Tortoise there
beside you?’ he asked.

‘Yes, sir.
Shall I...?’ asked Flossy.

The big lion
gestured at the foot of the dais.

Flossy rolled
Assam onto his back and dragged him to the dais then flipped him
the right way up. She wasn’t gentle.

‘Come out
please, Mr Tortoise,’ requested the Mayor politely.

Assam lay
stone-like; unmoving.

‘Don’t cause
us to run out of patience, Mr Tortoise. I really don’t want to lose
my temper again.’

Assam peered
up at the big lion with his one exposed eye. His four limbs, stumpy
tail and head were still tucked tightly into his shell. Slowly he
wriggled out his tail, then his legs. Last to emerge was his head
and neck, eyes darting about nervously.

‘Perhaps you
can tell us a little about your involvement in this unhappy
matter,’ suggested the Mayor in his warmest, most reassuring
voice.

Assam looked
like he was about to speak but then twitched and looked back at
Flossy.

‘Perhaps you
should speak for him?’ prompted the Mayor.

Flossy
explained what she had learned about Assam’s cowardly inaction; how
he had failed to aid Larry or free Stanley, who could have quickly
raised the alarm and secured help. She held nothing back, her scorn
obvious. When she finished, she noticed that the hall had fallen
deathly silent, as if everyone was expecting something further.

The Mayor
roared.

The roar
boomed off the lofty ceiling and expanded to fill the vast hall.
Flossy wouldn’t have been surprised if the beautiful stained glass
window above the Mayor burst and showered down in a deadly rainbow
of glass shards. The crescent of animals behind her shrank back,
some falling flat to the floor. Assam imploded into his shell with
a speed not unlike the breaking of an overstretched bowstring. It
was to Stanley’s credit that he held his ground unflinchingly.
Captain Rhino too appeared unaffected.

When silence
once again prevailed and the Mayor had regained his composure he
lamented: ‘If anyone can find for me one courageous tortoise I will
hand him my job and go into retirement!’ He gathered himself up and
shook his head despondently. ‘Mr Tortoise, had you not considered
there was a very good chance of Stanley Horse raising the alarm in
sufficient time to stop Harry Possum’s and Sally Sloth’s abduction?
Were you so concerned about your precious leather hide that you
would prefer shaming the whole House of Tortoise with your
cowardice?’ The lion turned away, giving up. ‘Leave our presence,
we can take no more!’

Assam had
become a stone; he did not move.

‘Someone… yes,
you and you… remove this creature before I hurl him out the door
myself!’ said the Mayor.

Two large
gorillas stepped forward and effortlessly picked up the tortoise
between them. The crowd parted as they left the hall. Someone
standing nearby spat, Flossy couldn’t see who.

She noticed
Iscariot Snake in the crowd. He was looking at her rather than the
departing boar like everyone else. She tapped the pommel of her
sword to remind him and smiled.

_CHAPTER
14

_{KEEPING ENEMIES CLOSER}

While Assam Tortoise
was carried from the hall, Flossy glanced behind. Off to one side
were the sheep she had mistaken for pirates. They were watching her
intensely, admiration written large in their eyes. She pretended
not to notice them. She had no interest in encouraging their
misplaced fascination with her, or with pirates generally.

‘Are we all of
us cowards and fools! Is it not enough that we were ignorant of
pirates walking freely among us? Yet now we learn that one did know
but was too much a coward to risk even untying a horse,’ said the
Mayor.

Flossy stepped
forward. ‘Sir, let me lead a rescue mission. We will leave tonight
and have Harry and Sally home by diner tomorrow.’

The Mayor
looked down at her. ‘Now that’s the kind of bravery we admire. You
are a credit to your House.’ He looked over her head and scanned
the crowd. ‘Who will join her?’

Larry was the
first to arrive. He wriggled through the crowd and made his way to
her side. Flossy reached out and took his warm hand, making him
smile shyly. Dried blood matted his head-fur where he had been
struck against the ground by the black boar but otherwise he looked
well.

‘More bravery
then, Larry Monkey?’ asked the Mayor, rhetorically.

Larry looked
down at his feet. His toes were curled.

‘Of course,
our small navy will be at your disposal,’ said the Mayor to
Flossy.

There was a
resounding cheer from the rhinos, gorillas, crocodiles and many
others. They clearly wanted a fight, or justice.

‘You have a
navy?’ asked Flossy, surprised. The town didn’t seem big enough to
support a navy and she had seen no warships at Curiosity Quay.

‘Of a kind.
It’s not a standing navy, but one that can be quickly assembled as
required. The town’s fishing boats will be seconded and made ready
for battle. They are many and some of them are fast.’

Iscariot Snake
slithered forward and knocked Flossy roughly aside. She found she
had half-drawn her sword when she regained her footing. Training
and instinct were good friends in a pinch.

‘I would lead
this expedition,’ declared Iscariot Snake, blood-red tongue
flicking.

‘There would
be few without the courage to follow if you should lead, Mr Snake,’
said the Mayor. ‘But some would say you are no longer of this town
because you’ve not lived among us for so many years. Perhaps, on
this occasion, the honour should fall to another.’

The Mayor was
clearly being diplomatic, saying ‘no’ in a way to that would least
offend. Flossy pushed her sword back into its scabbard and fell at
ease, watching.

‘Under my
leadership we’ll strike a blow the pirates won’t forget,’ said
Iscariot. She could see that he wasn’t used to being refused.

The Mayor
turned and consulted the animals standing behind him on the dais.
These were probably the town’s officials, Flossy thought.

After a few
minutes he turned back. ‘We are gratified by your offer, Mr Snake.
But Miss Fairweather Human will lead on this occasion. She is
quick-witted and has demonstrated superb courage. Should she so
agree, you will act as her second-in-command. The House of Human is
reputed to be resourceful. You may learn something.’

Iscariot
stiffened, turned towards Flossy and rose from the floor so he
towered over her. If the big snake was human she was sure his face
would be glowing crimson with indignation.

‘Of course,
sir. I look forward to
digesting
all she has to offer. I’m
always
hungry
for something new.’ His nostrils flared and
dark menace filled his unblinking, onyx eyes.

Flossy tapped
the pommel of her sword and smiled serenely at the snake. She would
not be intimidated.

There was a
commotion beside her and she turned to see Reginald stepping
forward, the crowd parting. He smiled at Flossy then turned to the
Mayor.

‘Please
approach, Reginald. You have always been a friend of this
court.’

‘Mayor Lion,
most honourable councillors. Nobody would deny that Iscariot Snake
could deliver a powerful blow to the pirates if given the chance.
His size and strength is many times greater than most standing here
in the hall. He is also uncommonly intelligent—as his former
teacher, I should know. But the choice of leader should not come
down to strength and intelligence alone. It is also a matter of
character. I say Iscariot Snake has yet to be proven of
sufficiently good character and therefore should be excluded from
leadership. Surely the matter of his involvement in the Troubles
should be…’

Iscariot
flicked around lightning-fast. ‘Nothing was ever proved,’ he said,
hissing bitterly.

‘Neither was
it disproved,’ retorted Reginald, dryly.

The snake rose
up as if to strike but stopped short as the Mayor said: ‘How do you
defend this criticism of your character, Iscariot?’

‘In any other
place, sir, I would have no need. My honour would be satisfied in a
more direct fashion. But to satisfy your mayorship and the Court, I
will defend my character with this ancient saying: let him who has
not sinned cast the first stone.’ He turned and looked over the
crowd. Silent animals fidgeted under his gaze. Satisfied, he turned
back. ‘We, all of us, are flawed and each has his weakness. For
one, it’s pride despite one’s
tragic
and
avoidable
mistakes.’ Iscariot tipped his diamond head towards Reginald, as if
this was meant for him. Reginald turned away, chastened. ‘For
others, it’s an overly quick temper.’ Flossy had the distinct
impression that this was meant for her and she raised her eyebrows.
The snake then looked meaningfully at the Mayor. ‘And for other
great ones among us, it’s a failure to master
base
instincts
, instincts that lurk
hungrily
within us all;
that demand to be satisfied even when it means overlooking certain
moral considerations.’ A look passed between Iscariot and the Mayor
that made Flossy feel like she was eavesdropping on a private
conversation.

The Mayor
stared at the snake for a moment, as if shaken, then he turned to
Reginald. ‘Will you cast the first stone? Is your character
flawless? Have your actions always been beyond reproach?’ His voice
wasn’t steady as he said this.