‘I’ve had just about enough of you and your insufferably cynical attitude!’ the Unicorn’s head turned to address its bottom.
‘The feeling’s mutual you pompous, old gasbag!’ the derrière replied.
‘That is an outright insult, sir! I am not even remotely old! You know, there’s a reason you were chosen for your particular role, you brazen oaf!’ Fantail scolded.
‘At least with me it’s only an act. With you it’s an everyday reality,’ snapped the unicorn’s rear.
‘How dare you!’ Fantail delivered a fearsome slap across his partner’s head.
With the hide of the unicorn costume clearly offering a decent level of protection, the slap apparently was no more than an irritant, as seconds later the concealed man rugby tackled Fantail. The show was over. Pandemonium ensued onstage. In one of the most peculiar sights the audience had ever witnessed, the head and rear of the same costumed unicorn were enveloped in a full blown punch-up, with insults being hurled as freely as fists.
‘Maybe now’s a good time to take our leave,’ Gabriel suggested.
Marina agreed.
With the gillhood attached, Gabriel clasped Marina’s webbed hand and without hesitation they both dove into the water.
The instant his face submerged, the mask affixed itself firmly to Gabriel’s face like a second skin. The effect, although initially alarming, was incredible. For the first time ever Gabriel felt as comfortable under the water as he did above it. The air that filtered through the mask was oddly warming and mildly sweet tasting. As he raced through the waterways with Marina, he could feel the cool water stroking his skin, he could see, he could hear and most importantly he could breathe. It was exhilarating!
Marina led him through the vast maze of underground waterways like an accomplished professional without pausing to find her way once. At irregular intervals lanterns similar to those in the aquatic library were mounted on the wall. At other points the tunnels fell into pitch blackness where Gabriel could not even see his hand in front of his face. But still Marina continued onwards.
At one point, the narrow tunnels opened outwards into what seemed to be a vast underground lake. Gabriel wondered if they were once again back in Wingtail Lake, however, moments later the walls closed in around them again as they shot into another submerged tunnel. Soon after the tunnel walls vanished for a final time as the pair of them emerged into a wholly different underwater environment.
The churning waters were black as night and felt significantly chillier. Despite the warm air rippling through him from the gillhood, Gabriel could nevertheless feel his muscles contracting and shivering against the sudden cold shock. Still Marina cut effortlessly through the water with the powerful stokes of her magnificent tail. Yet Gabriel could feel the current of the water tugging at him, trying to break his hold on Marina. He could hear the garbled churning roar of the wild water like muffled thunder.
All of a sudden out of the blackness, a dark sandy floor rose up quickly to meet them. The gloomy waters rescinded. They emerged on a deserted beach of an isolated cove, framed by high rocky cliffs. The night was clear. The full moon and twinkling stars shone brightly, illuminating the cove in a soothing blue-white glow. They had left the confines of Sanctuary.
‘It’s so peaceful here.’ Gabriel looked around as he removed the gillhood. He sat with Marina on the shoreline, the gentle surf lapping softly against them.
‘I knew you’d like it,’ Marina replied.
Despite his wet clothes, Gabriel was surprised that he no longer felt cold. The late October night air was surprisingly balmy and still.
‘From now on you can plan all of our dates,’ Gabriel said.
‘Oh, so you think you’re getting another?’
Gabriel was flummoxed, ‘Erm... well, I didn’t mean to presume... but I just thought that-’
‘Relax, I’m just teasing,’ Marina beamed. ‘I’ve had a really good time tonight, Gabriel.’
‘Me too. Of course the meal was a bit of a disaster and as for that so-called play...’ he broke off as Marina gazed at him. ‘I mean – I had a great time too,’ he said.
‘So, the Harvest Festival is fast approaching... this will be your first one, right?’ Marina asked.
‘Yeah. You’ve been to them before?’
‘I have. Never to the end of Festival Ball though. I’ve always thought it might be interesting to see what all the fuss was about. Don’t you think?’
‘I-’
‘Would you like to go? I mean, together?’ Her eyes fixed upon him and shone like miniature stars themselves in the dark night.
‘I’d love to,’ Gabriel replied, holding her gaze.
Marina smiled demurely and for but a moment flicked her eyes towards the lightly lapping surf. When she glanced up again Gabriel detected a different look in her enchanting eyes, a newly found confidence, an inner sureness.
Instinctively, Gabriel and Marina leant in towards one another and kissed.
CHAPTER TWENTY
THE HARVEST FESTIVAL
In the week leading up to the weekend of the Harvest Festival Grand Ball, Sanctuary was abuzz with excitement and activity. Although preparations had begun in the previous few weeks, now they went into overdrive.
Artisan Plaza exploded with colour as streamers, banners, garlands and wreaths were hung in every available space. Shops, stalls and cafes erupted out into the streets with tables piled high with purchasable goods, additional chairs were even laid out for customers to sample their never-ending stock of delicious foodstuffs. The narrow streets were so crammed full of wares, decorations and patrons that many of them became almost wholly impassable.
The air was awash with fragrant perfumes of autumn flowers, scrumptious aromas from the mouth-watering baked goods and delectably sweet scents from the succulent harvested fruits. The atmosphere was so richly filled with enticing smells that it was almost as though Artisan Plaza wasn’t big enough to contain them all, as they poured out into the neighbouring vicinities. They could even be detected as far away as the Suburban Caverns and the tunnels leading to Wingtail Lake.
At the end of the school day on Tuesday, Grandmaster Bysonn called the students into the large auditorium. He surprised both students and teachers alike by announcing that he was closing the school for an impromptu holiday until Wednesday of the following week (normally they were only given the Friday and Monday of the festival’s last weekend off). A rapturous cheer detonated in the auditorium. Teachers alike, although concerned about losing lessons with their students, were nonetheless elated at the prospect of extra days off to enjoy the festivities.
Granted with an extended holiday, Marina announced that she and Finn were going to use it as an opportunity to visit their father back in their deep sea home of Oceana. She assured Gabriel however, that she most certainly did not plan to miss their second date and would return late on Friday evening.
Over the course of the next three days Gabriel, Seth, Sattan and Tamera trawled the streets of Artisan Plaza, sampling the many sweet and savoury delicacies. By the end of each day they were each full to bursting without ever tasting the same treat twice! During that time, Artisan Plaza was the place to be. On each street they turned onto, the quartet could not help but bumping into people they knew, whether it be students, teachers or other Sanctuary residents. Over the course of those three days they even saw Daws, Morris and Doris Nibbler, Archimedes Flattail, Tolero and Pixell and his wife, Timpani trawling the stalls.
When the quartet ran into Pixell and Timpani late on Thursday afternoon, the couple were in the midst of a heated debate. However, with the pair being so small and hovering just above the average person’s head, the four friends didn’t realise it was the two fairies that were arguing until they were virtually right underneath them.
‘Oh, hello again children,’ Timpani said turning towards them.
‘Don’t think you can end it like that just ‘cos- Oof!’ Pixell winced as his wife elbowed him sharply in the
ribs.
‘Not in front of the children!’ she scolded him out of the corner of her mouth, before giving a winning smile to the four friends. ‘It’s been so long since we last saw you! How have you all been? Have you fully settled in now, Gabriel?’
‘Pretty much I suppose.’
‘Good to hear. Pixell, are you not even going to say “hello?”’
‘Hello,’ he said obediently whilst massaging his sore ribs.
‘Why were you arguing?’ Tamera asked.
‘It’s nothing dear, don’t worry yourself,’ Timpani said.
‘It wasn’t “nothing” two minutes ago!’ Pixell griped.
‘Hush, Pixell!’ Timpani turned back to Tamera. ‘I was just a little disappointed. Pixell has agreed to work on Saturday night.’
‘I haven’t agreed to anything! I didn’t have a choice!’ he protested. Motioning towards Gabriel, he continued, ‘I told you being spotted on that surveillance mission would come back to haunt me!’
‘Uh... sorry,’ Gabriel said.
‘It’s not your fault, Gabriel dear. Don’t blame yourself. Pixell often has all the grace and stealth of an inebriated Cyclops. You should hear him coming in after a night out with “the boys.” It’s enough to wake the dead!’
Pixell snorted sulkily.
‘Whatever could be so important that you have to work on the night of the Harvest Festival Grand Ball?’ Tamera inquired further.
‘He’s the messenger boy.’
‘I AM NOT THE MESSENGER BOY!” Pixell squawked in indignation. ‘It’s guard duty as a matter of fact, just like I said in the first place!’
‘Guard duty? What could you possibly be required to protect?’ Sattan said.
‘A jar of highly prized sweets,’ Seth added. ‘It’s those pesky butterflies again, they’re nothing if not persistent. But don’t worry, Pixell will be on hand to fend them off!’
‘You two are both skirting a thin line,’ Pixell growled (although in his high pitched voice it came off as more like a purr).
‘No offense, Pixell,’ Gabriel cut in, ‘but they have a point. You’re not exactly a physically intimidating presence.’
‘Oh, so now you’re taking a pop at me as well?’
‘Pixell, calm down,’ Timpani said edgily. ‘No one is “taking a pop” at you.’ She turned back to the children again, ‘Pixell is charged with guarding the front gate, but in case of trouble it is his responsibility to alert the other guardsmen.’
‘But isn’t it Hookbeak’s duty to guard the front gate?’ Gabriel said.
‘Yes. But in case of emergency I provide his support.’
‘So in other words because of his recent “activity,” you’re guarding the guard?’
‘Seth!’ Tamera chided.
‘Precisely.’
‘Pixell!’ Timpani rebuked.
‘Well we all know that’s the real reason. The no-good crook. He should be locked up!’
‘That is not your decision to make, Pixell. Honestly! What kind of example are you setting for the children? I think we’d better go.’
The couple said their goodbyes and fluttered off over the crowd. But before they had reached the end of the street, they once again appeared to be embroiled in a rather heated argument.
Gabriel, Seth and Tamera glanced anxiously at one another.
‘OK,’ Sattan said, ‘what’s going on?’
‘Whatever do you mean?’ Tamera asked feigning ignorance.
‘You three know something. You became really uneasy when Pixell mentioned Hookbeak. Why?’
‘Dunno what you’re getting at,’ Seth said.
‘Yeah right. You’re rubbish liars. Tell me. Am I your friend or not?’
‘We were just a little concerned. You know, if Hookbeak decided to wander off mid-shift again.’
‘Uh-uh. That’s not it. What else do you know? I didn’t want to say anything but you three have been acting suspiciously for weeks!’
Gabriel looked from Seth to Tamera, ‘He’s got a point. He is our friend.’
‘Oh, very well then!’ Tamera finally relented.
Preferring to divulge their secrets in private and away from prying ears, the quartet headed for Martha’s Tearoom. Inside they found a quiet corner isolated from the rest of the patrons. They each ordered a foaming mug of caramel cola and a fig scone fresh from the oven. Once they were sure that they would no longer be interrupted by any of the serving staff (which had increased in numbers during recent days due to the Harvest Festival) they conveyed to Sattan all that had happened. Many of the goings on he was loosely aware of, with the exception of course, of Gabriel, Seth and Tamera’s raid on the Grandmaster’s office and the attack on Gabriel in the underwater library.
Sattan was horrified. ‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ he eventually said. ‘I could have helped you out.’
‘Helped how?’ Seth said, ‘In case you haven’t noticed, we haven’t actually achieved anything!’
‘Maybe that’s because you didn’t have enough people working on it.’
‘I tell you what,’ Seth said, ‘the next time we stumble across traitors threatening to endanger Sanctuary, we’ll be sure to involve you from the ground up.’
‘So what do we do now?’ Sattan said. ‘What are the plans for the Grand Ball?’
‘What can we do?’ Gabriel asked. ‘No one believes us. Even I’m having trouble believing it! After all, Bysonn and Hookbeak – the Grandmaster and the Council guardsman – conspiring against the very society they grew up in... who could believe that?’
‘What about your grandfather? Surely he-’
‘I’ve not seen or heard from him in I-don’t-know-how-long. The last I was told was that he was away on diplomatic visits. I have no idea when he’ll be back and there’s no way to reach him either.’
‘So let me get this straight,’ Sattan said, ‘Sanctuary is currently without leadership, has traitors plotting against it and is gearing up for one of the biggest events of the year, when almost every resident will be present in the same spot at the same time?’
‘That’s about the gist of it, yeah,’ Seth said.
‘And there’s nothing we can do about all of this?’
‘Not unless you can think of something we haven’t.’
‘I have a really bad feeling about this,’ Sattan said.
Gabriel, Seth and Tamera nodded glumly in agreement.
***
At four o’clock on Saturday afternoon Gabriel left the house and headed for the Theatre of Life and the start of the Harvest Festival Grand Ball. He had spent the day attempting to calm his nerves by ploughing through Omari’s wealth of books. He had been surprised to find books and novels from human writers as well as those of the Colony. Omari possessed writings and scriptures from such notable figures of human history as Darwin, Newton, Plato and even Nostradamus. Scattered in amongst these were works of authors and playwrights, including Austen, Dickens, Hemingway, Kipling and Shakespeare. The latter of whom he gave a wide birth; he had had sudden haunting flashbacks of English Literature class and the arduous task of combing through the likes of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” “Henry V” and “Othello.” He had been as adept at deciphering the mind-boggling use of the English language by William Shakespeare, as he was at mastering the likes of Sumerian and Akkadian in Ancient Languages.
Gabriel made his way along the walkways of the Suburban Caverns, all the while his mind was a flood of contrasting emotions. He was excited about seeing Marina again, about their second date and about his first ball, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling of impending doom.
Very soon, he joined the throng of residents all heading in the same direction. Couples, families and individuals of all ages and races were wearing all manner of different dress robes and smart clothing and chattering excitedly to one another.
Gabriel himself had managed to procure a very posh-looking tuxedo from a market stall that had popped up in just the last few days. Gabriel had been delighted to
find that the majority of the stock was human-made clothing.
‘Where did you get these?’ Gabriel had asked.
The stall owner, a twitchy, scrawny-looking man with big ears and buck teeth, squirmed uncomfortably, ‘Who wants to know? I ain’t done nuffin’ wrong! I got a friend who has contacts, that’s all.’
‘OK... so will your stall be a permanent fixture here from now on?’
‘Crikey! What’s with all the questions? I feel like I’m under interrogation!’
‘No, no, not at all! I just like the clothes you’re selling that’s all!’
‘Someone sent you to investigate me di’n’t they? A bet that Fantail had somefink to do wiv it di’n’t he? I knew he’d be jealous o’ the competition!’ A look of greater panic suddenly flashed across the man’s face. ‘Hold on... did Styne send you? Are you one of the Council guardsmen?’
‘Do I look like one of the Council guardsmen?’
‘Well you’re certainly big enough!’
Gabriel had decided not to press the point further.
The jacket and trousers he had purchased had been a little dusty but he had since washed them and they had come up looking almost as good as new. The bowtie was somewhat frayed but only on one side, and so with clever placement, he thought he had been able to hide that fact sufficiently. His shirt was a little frillier around the collar and cuffs than he would have liked, however he was confident that as long as he kept the jacket buttoned up fully, and didn’t stretch his arms out too much, he could avoid the frills being exposed. All in all as he looked over his dinner suit he was rather impressed with his find.
***
An enormous archway of handpicked autumn flowers adorned the vast entranceway to the Theatre of Life. The vibrant arched-wreath had been carefully assembled with only the finest blooms and emitted a gloriously rich perfume that greeted guests as they strolled underneath it. A large crowd had gathered by the entranceway. People were chattering noisily and excitedly with one another. Gabriel picked his way through the masses and stepped inside.
In just a week the theatre had been utterly transformed. The central stage had been removed so that the lower level could now be appreciated in all its grandeur. Countless beautifully decorated tables now encircled what had been transformed into a large dance floor. Each table was filled to near overflowing with various platters, plates, dishes and other vessels of all different shapes and sizes. Every one contained different foodstuffs, both sweet and savoury, which blended together to form the most enticingly delicious aromas imaginable. Even from high up at the top of the theatre the amazing smells were a delight to the senses.
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