prefers slouching in one of the darkest corners. Not even the foul, moldy smell can chase him from his corner. The cap that he is wearing falls over his eyes and he must yet again push it back. He has completely underestimated the capabilities of that sword that was given to Jack. It was a nasty fright he got when Jack started wielding it at that other boy. Maybe this invitation that he has now sent Yersinia will sort things out. She’d better come and explain if she still wants her Lady Macbeth status. Just as important is finding out the details of her plan to kill those boys belonging to the water team. How is it possible that anybody would choose water in the School of Blood? This is very worrying.
When the piercing sound of a loudly blown vuvuzela enters this so-called throne room, he must use every inch of willpower not to cry out in alarm, and especially not to start trembling uncontrollably. Pestis, prince of darkness, should always put on a show of being in control, although it is a far cry from the truth. At the moment 03 and 04, 05 with Minus 1 and Minus 2, are all present. Oh, how horribly upsetting is that sound.
“My liege,” comes the voice of 05. “Madame Yersinia Pestis-Macbeth.”
Molluscum Contagiosum enters, holding the vuvuzela that was given to him by Salmonella. He starts blowing on it again with all his heart.
“What’s the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? Speak, speak!” [Lady Macbeth in Act 2, Scene 3, Line 77] Yersinia calls out to Pestis, unable to hide her excitement, but she is quite shocked when Pestis orders 05 to take the vuvuzela from Molluscum. Was it somehow a mistake to have Molluscum announce her arrival like this? She had Molluscum blowing it all the way through those terrifying woods, so that she would not hear any of the words that were shouted at her by the trees.
“Disappear, go away!” she hastily whispers to Molluscum, who seems to be at a loss without his vuvuzela.
“Go!” Pestis shouts at 05. “Take that thing away from here! Go blow it at that … that … crevice…that fearful place.” His headache has become far worse.
“No kidding? You mean the Precipice? Wow!” 05 excitedly blows his newly acquired vuvuzela over the dinner table and instantly sets fire to the served dinner and to the robes of -1 and 03 with his paraffin breath. Minus 1 and 03 run for the fish pond, but do not manage to emerge before Pestis’ pet shark has tattered the burnt robes, so that they now look like two bats that have flown through a salvo of gunshot.
Two servants hurriedly put out the fire on the table, using buckets of dirty water.
“Dinner is served, lord. Your guest is waiting,” says the one, pointing to Yersinia, who is checking her appearance and airtime in a dark mirror that shows her body as an X-ray image.
“Cold burnt offerings, topped with a piquant Vibrio cholerae [The bacterium that causes cholera, a severe, often fatal intestinal infection. https://www.who.int/topics/cholera/en/] sauce.”
05 has no time to think of dinner. He runs off excitedly… the Precipice! If he gets to prevent a human from jumping…from committing suicide… it will prove that he actually is a good person at heart…especially to Pestis.
Escape attempt
Molluscum makes use of the chance to make yet another attempt at escape.
He had stolen Amoran’s ‘phone from Yersinia’s desk. When he gets to the back of Pop stores, he phones Apatheto’s number.
“Yes, I gave him the word, but it does not help me much. I know that word already,” Molluscum grumbles in the telephone.
“I am so glad you could get out!” is Apatheto’s cheerful reply. “Partner, I need to ask you another favour…”
“Oh great,” mumbles Molluscum. “Here I am now: stuck with the Twelve Tasks of Molluscum Contagiosum.”
When Apatheto arrives, Molluscum takes out a pencil and a note book. As Apatheto speaks, he scribbles something down about an abducted woman, separated from her children.
“I believe you are just the person to help this woman!” Apatheto smiles.
He hands Molluscum an envelope with a message for Jack: Get out of that place now. Take those with you that you can, and leave the rest! Get out now!
“In the meantime, you are gaining experience, my friend.” Apatheto is beaming with enthusiasm that is unfortunately not shared by Molluscum. “I know it is not easy to break the habits of millennia, but you have started. Remember: your words have great power. If you follow Jack and the GPS, you might succeed sooner than you think.”
Molluscum looks at him incredulously.
“Do my words have enough power to measure up against a bunch of lawyers?” he asks.
“For them, it will be a test in mercy. Maybe they would want to pass it.”
Molluscum decides to rather keep in contact with Apatheto. Yersinia wants to kill Jack at the soonest excuse and opportunity, and Apatheto does not know it. Whatever the case may be, he, Molluscum has a better chance of escaping with Apatheto than with Jack, and even that does not seem very promising.
Polite conversation at dinner
Yersinia is not sure what to say about Pestis’ tongue, which has become ever more forked over the years. They had vicious fights, even before the birth of Doubt and Fear. When these two arrived, Yersinia’s situation just got worse. She insisted on having the looks of Lady Macbeth. Pestis agreed, provided that she helped him to reach some of his “goals” first. Yersinia agreed; if she could only have Doubt and Fear to protect her. In the two thousand years that followed, she only made slight progress with her looks. Pestis’ goals have everything to do with his lust after blood - preferably innocent blood - and he has no inclination of keeping any of his promises.
“The problem is mainly with the Gullibles. They believe the Word too easily. Where are the days they chose to believe ME instead? It thwarts my plans every time. This time, I want to see them all killed. Enough of this nonsense,” Pestis orders. “Now let’s see about this pool, infested with Doubt and Fear…”
Yersinia starts explaining excitedly, completely forgetting to take some of the Vibrio cholerae sauce.
“So you see, the little schistosome [Bilharzia worm, a parasite affecting the liver. She means Jack, because he is still the liver and she does not like it.] won’t have a chance,” she concludes.
“For this, dear.. er…lady, you are the winner of a passive turbo gym – just the thing for a Lady-Macbeth workout. You will find that it works all the right areas.”
“Oh…Oh…That’s…just…wonderful. Thank you!” she mumbles through her artificial instant smile. “Exercise? Curses upon you, you darned old shyster!” she thinks privately.
“It could, of course, provide a perfect alibi for you, when you send Molluscum, Doubt and Fear out to do the job…just think …only a few more workouts…and you’re there…” Pestis smiles his special smile, bearing his fangs.
The Lady Macbeth workout
Yersinia has just buckled herself to her passive turbo gym that was placed in front of the window overlooking the swimming pool. She is ready for her workout and for the spectacle that she has organised for her entertainment.
Looking like Lady Macbeth certainly is a lot of effort, although this machine is of some help. You simply strap every arm and leg into its own expandable lever. These levers are fitted with specific electrodes and monitors which will provide the exact amount of muscle contraction and movements in all directions to give you the correct exercise where needed.
Yersinia, as a result of being technologically challenged, has become a great admirer of the numerous “scientifically tested” devices that are so amply advertised in the popular press. Maybe Pestis really did mean what he said this time!
Goody-two-shoes is in his position, holding the remote control. He presses a button that promises to start with a light skip. Soon Yersinia is indeed skipping happily to the beat of Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
“Now remember you little twit, w
hen I say ‘flip’, you press that button and put me on a more advanced level, do you hear me?”
“Yes, Madam,” Goody-two-shoes replies.
Molluscum runs his errands
“The water team must clean the pool - TODAY,” is what Yersinia has told Molluscum. What he does not know, is that Doubt and Fear are waiting for them under the dark, green clots of algae that cover the entire surface of the water. He is so disappointed by the results of his secret alliance with this Apatheto guy, that he has forgotten about the envelope that he is supposed to give to Jack. He leaves the cleaning equipment next to the pool and goes off to find the water team.
Everything is ominously silent next to the pool. In her living room, Yersinia is happily skipping in anticipation. Suddenly a strange event occurs. The two bottles of Johnny Warlord, with the packets of Ignition are moving from the garden table to the side of the pool – all by themselves! [So now the old girl is somewhat spooked! I, Amahl, assigned to Jack Gullible, know how to make rearrangements with extraordinary poise and elegance.]
“Phillip! What is that?” shouts Yersinia and Goody-two-shoes, frightened, and not recognising his own name, presses hard on the button. Yersinia’s pace is increased somewhat.
Doubt is the first to surface. He is still busy opening the bottle when the glass comes gliding towards him on thin air. [Yersinia should appreciate my trouble for this charming little showstopper.]
“Phillip! I don’t believe this.” Yersinia’s pace increases again.
When Fear makes his appearance, both glasses are in place and Yersinia is jogging at a pace that is not so comfortable any more. When the two columns of smoke start curling lazily towards the blue skies, Yersinia is running.
“Get me out of here, you little twit!” She is shouting at Goody-two-shoes, but he is over-concentrating and hears “little flip”, instead of “little twit”. In his nervous state, he presses the button twice. Yersinia is sprinting.
Jack and the water team arrive at the pool. They look at Doubt and Fear apprehensively.
“What a lovely day for lounging around the pool,” Jack remarks and the sedated Doubt and Fear both nod in bliss. “We won’t disturb you,” he continues. “Come on you guys; let’s load those cuttings onto the wheelbarrows. We can take them to the dumping site.” [Situated in the Wood of Words. How rewarding to be assigned to a brain!]
Into the Wood of Words
The water team passes the rose garden with their wheelbarrows.
Jack stops.
“Go on ahead. I’ll be with you soon.”
There is that embellishment with the slight opening in the wall again. He pokes his head through it.
“Delinquency!” he whispers. “I’ll pass here soon when I return with the empty wheelbarrow. Keep your hopes up! I’m working on the problem!”
“I hope you make it,” is all she says.
Entrance
“So,” puzzles Jack. “How do we open this gate in the electric fence?”
“Why is this fence here anyway? What is she so afraid of?”
“The New South Africa?” offers Gugu.
“Words,” explains Amoran. “And it must keep us in, of course.”
”WORDS?”
“This wood is full of words, and somehow she is terrified by those words.”
“But why? What can words do to you?”
“I do not know, but if we manage to escape into this wood, we’ll find out.”
Jack looks at the gate again.
“Well, I am not afraid of words. That’s ridiculous. Let’s try some word power on the gate: OPEN SESAME!”
Jack says the words as loudly as he might dare, but of course nothing happens.
“Oh well, maybe we should be more polite,” says Jack with a twinkle in his eye. “Look, here is a sweet little button.”
[Actually it is only a bolt that keeps one of the hinges in place.]
“Ding Dong!” calls Jack in a girlish voice, while pressing the button with his forefinger, pinkie in the air.
Astonishingly, the gate swings open. Jack gulps and gapes. [Even guardian artists cannot resist polite humour.]
“What did I do now? It actually worked!”
But Amoran sees their chance, and how short it is.
“Hurry!” whispers Amoran. “Do you want Doubt and Fear tailing us?” He casts one last glance at the buildings. None of the team members needs an invitation to follow; only Jack hesitates.
“Should we really do this, now? I did not think it would work at all! I only wanted us to push the wheelbarrows around the grounds until Doubt and Fear have finished their drinks…”
“Who is chicken now? Jack! I know you do not want to leave Delinquency, but you cannot help her unless you are free yourself! And you cannot do it without help, don’t you see?” [How wonderful to have a good friend helping you make good decisions when your guardian artist may not!]
Jack wants to look back towards the garden and the wall, but Amoran grabs his arm.
“I am leaving Shamare behind! Once we are free, we can help them to be free also! We cannot if we are captives ourselves. Come on!”
The water team hurry down the path that leads into the infamous Wood of Words. They are soon surrounded by trees. The branches try to snatch their arms and ankles, but when Jack brandishes the sword that Yersinia allowed him to keep with fear in her heart, the trees retreat.
Two trees start whispering the moment they see Amoran.
“Look at that kid! He belongs to that woman!”
“Indeed! What a shame!” And suddenly the whole wood seems to be transformed into a murmuring mass. The boys can only make out snippets of what is being said: “…should be ashamed…”,”..and a sister too… Shamare…”, “..poor things…”, “..shock the community…”, “..let down her children…”, “..not HER fault…”, “..what about the father…”, “ ..unthinking…”
Neither Amoran, nor Jack can make any sense of all this. He is not even sure that they are talking about him, or somebody else, but Shamare was mentioned. Who do these trees think they are?
“Why are they being so mean?” Amoran thinks by himself. He must not think of this; it is too hurtful.
“One blind person cannot lead another blind person! Go find the Light!” whispers the GPS from Jack’s pocket.
Jack puts his hand on the sword again and then marches deeper into the Wood of Words. The rest of the team follow suit. A little way behind them, Molluscum starts off, traipsing along after them.
From the school buildings, an alarm starts sounding. Some beam has picked up the movement through the gate.
Fury
Yersina has been in the hyperactive turbo swim these past thirty minutes, her arms and legs flailing and circling in all directions until she looks like a huge four-bladed fan; a dangerously overheated fan. The snakes on her head are jerking and hissing on end. She tries shouting for help, but is so out of breath that she is only capable of a few wheezes. Little Goody-two-shoes, observing the state that she is in, has panicked, run off, and has also disappeared through the open gate in the electric fence. He has no idea how to “unflip” that complicated machine of Yersinia’s. [So truly typical and symbolic of the human condition, but in this case, purely delightful and surprisingly entertaining.]
After a while, one of the straps snaps and her one leg is free, but the other three straps will still last for some time. This is a good quality product that Pestis has given her and it is hanging on for dear life.
“Jack GULLIBLE! You unspeakable little critter! Today is your day of doom! You rubbish! RUBBISH!” For once, Jack is already too far away to hear her pitiful, out of breath wheezing.
“I’ll get you! I’ll get you sooner than you think!” She swings her fist at them, once her one arm is released. At last she manages to free herself.
“Molluscum! Molluscuuuum!” rings her call through the empty dorms and classrooms, b
ut Molluscum has decided to accompany the water team. He is nowhere to be found.
“Doubt! Fear!” Yersinia finds them lounging in the sun next to the green algae of the official school swimming pool, their eyes closed and their viciously teethed mouths gaping blissfully. The bottles of Johnny Warlord are already half empty. She kicks the bottles into the swimming pool and then Doubt’s scaly rib cage receives her pounding foot.
“WHAT are you doing here? You were supposed to make a killing!”
She grabs the hose pipe and gives each of them a thorough hose down. Soon, the two reptiles are seen leaving through the same gate that Jack and all his friends have used some time ago. Doubt, in his half drunken state, has picked up Jack’s skateboard that was left next to the pool and is carrying it with him into the Wood of Words.
For the fear of words
WANTED: Jack Gullible
Please ‘phone his yearning mother, Yersinia.
She desperately wants him back;
Dead or alive.
Telephone: 000 000 0000
The accompanying photo was cut from the official class photo, but once again, Yersinia could not get rid of me, Amahl. I suppose that is why she added the endearing mother’s touch to the text on the poster before she faxed it to Pop Stores and Spare. So there we are, glued to every single lamp post in town, without the silk flower. I just donned a dirty bandana instead. Maybe this is my first step to fame in the Milky Way galaxy.
People might even think I am the child abuser who kidnapped Jack; a perfect cover, should I ever need one.
When you cannot see the wood for words
“Wordssss rule! Wordssss rule!” the wood hisses. No other sound is heard – no birds singing, not even a breeze blowing through the tree tops, only the sinister hissing of the wood. Everybody is quiet – too afraid to say anything. They are walking in single file along a narrow path. Ever so often, a branch or a shoot from a tree will reach out, but it swiftly pulls back when Jack’s hand reaches for his sword. Everybody takes care not to get too near the thorny trees, but some thorns are camouflaged so well, that you do get a scratch before you realise your mistake.
Jack has seen Molluscum leaving behind them at the gate, and has been looking for him all this time, but it seems Molluscum has sneaked away. He is nowhere to be found.
After a while, everybody seems to get used to the incessant whispering of “wordsss rule!”
Suddenly, the narrow path disappears completely.
“What do we do now?” Amoran asks.
“We did not know where this path was leading to anyway, maybe we should try making our own,” says Gugu.
“How long have we been walking along this path?” asks Lefty. “Maybe it’s all wrong!”
“How can it be wrong or right, if we do not know where we are going anyway?” sighs Jack.
“Where? Where? Wrong or right? Wrong or right?” echoes the wood but then it starts a new chant altogether.
“Go back, Jack! Go back, Jack! You don’t know where you are, Jack! Why are you here Jack? Why? Why?”
Jack looks around him uncertainly and
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