The two Ratzis lay on their backs and looked up at the stars. There are moments in the great adventure of life when it’s okay, even well deserved, to fart, and this was one of them. And so they did, happy to be alive.
“Idiot!” said Mavis to Flintskin. “It’s all your fault!”
“I thought I saw a small creature out of the corner of my eye,” said the president to the Queen, a little shaken. “What were your dogs chasing?”
“We don’t have small creatures in the palace, Mr. President,” said the Queen. “The dogs were just having jolly good fun chasing one another.” She bent down and lifted Messalina onto her lap and stroked her soft head.
The president frowned. He must have been mistaken.
Outside, the other Ratzis were retreating quickly. Knowing they were beaten, they skated as fast as they could, knocking into one another and clambering over one another in their desperation to flee. They disappeared the way they had come: in a great, greasy river of fur and tails, into the underground tunnels beneath London, and on to the Shard, where they would discover, to their bitter disappointment, that the bunny who was going to spill all the secrets of the Royal Rabbits of London had escaped.
The Doctor, on the other hand, had recovered and eagerly awaited their return.
“That was great,” Zeno cheered, putting up his paw for Lola to high-five. “You and your Jack Rabbits are MONSTERS!”
“And your Thumpers were awesome.” Lola slapped Zeno’s paw. “We did it together! I think it’s time for a glass of your finest carrot juice, don’t you?”
Deep beneath the State Dining Room, Belle de Paw was watching the drama going on through the periscopes and reporting to Nelson. “The disaster has been avoided,” she announced happily. “Shylo’s alive, and he saved the day!”
“How did he do it?” Nelson asked.
Belle de Paw laughed. “By being a very brave bunkin!”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
IN THE GRAND BURROW, THERE was more carrot juice than anyone could drink. The Royal Rabbits of London and the Rabbits of the United States had won a tremendous victory, and they celebrated with laughter, celery, and a lot of thumping of hind paws so that the ground beneath them vibrated.
The battle had not been easy, so there were many injured rabbits, but they joined in the fun, even with their wounds bandaged.
After the feast, there was dancing. Zeno was the most enthusiastic dancer, and he grabbed Lola and pulled her onto the dance floor. Lola showed off her salsa moves while Zeno swung her around and threw her into the air. Belle de Paw took Hunter by the paw and wiggled to the rhythm, and Laser grinned at Clooney, who put out his arm so that he could escort her onto the dance floor too.
Shylo watched with pleasure. The battle had brought the American Jacks and the Royal Rabbits together, and now music took its place and unified them as only music can. He began to sway to the beat and tap his hind paw on the ground. Then someone touched his shoulder. He looked up. It was Nelson.
“You did well, Shylo,” the Generalissimo said, and Shylo’s chest expanded with happiness. “You are the first rabbit to enter the Shard and the first rabbit to escape. Tomorrow I want a briefing.”
And tomorrow Shylo would tell him about the informer in their burrow who had told Papa Ratzi about the president’s fear of rats. However, now was not the moment, for they were celebrating their success.
Nelson looked down at the little bunkin and frowned. “Shylo, you should be dancing,” he said, and he was right. Shylo should have been dancing.
But Shylo had no one to dance with. Once again, he felt like an Outsider rather than a Royal Rabbit who belonged. No one seemed to notice him at all.
Then Belle de Paw was standing in front of him. She bent down and smiled. “Will you dance with me, Shylo? I can see you tapping your hind leg. I bet you’re a wonderful dancer.”
She offered him her paw.
Shylo took it.
Belle de Paw allowed him to guide her to a spot beneath the grand but rather dusty chandelier. Shylo let the music take him. It started as a fizzy feeling in his hind paws, then became a bubbly feeling in his belly, and finally grew into a dizzy sensation in his head. His body moved, his arms waved, his legs kicked, and his tail wiggled. Belle de Paw stared at him with her eyes wide, clapping her paws and laughing that tinkling laugh of hers that sounded just like sunshine felt. She was certainly impressed.
Because it turned out that this small, skinny, and slightly awkward bunny was not just braver than he knew but, just as Belle de Paw had guessed, a good dancer too.
A very good dancer.
Fancy that!
EPILOGUE
THAT NIGHT, IN A PRETTY suburban house in a small town in America—California to be precise—there came a soft rustling sound from the sitting room. Outside it was dark and quiet. The humans in the house were asleep.
They imagined their pet rat, whom they had named Nibbles, would also be asleep in his cage. He had been rescued a few years before from a laboratory where unspeakable things had happened to him. These days he lived most comfortably in a big, sumptuous cage, because the humans who had adopted him felt sorry for how he’d been treated. He was fed special food and spoiled in every way a family can spoil a beloved pet.
Now he got up from his soft sawdust bed.
Nibbles didn’t look like any rat you’ve ever seen. He had a very skinny body and an oversized head. His pink, shriveled skin could be seen through a thin covering of white fur, and his eyes were a cloudy purple. His tail was long, moist, and pink and he had claws that looked more like fingers. Yet his face was almost angelic—the curl of a smile on his lips; an upturned, ski-jump snout; and sweet, opaque eyes that were large and winning. Adorable!
But there was nothing adorable about this rat.
He climbed the bars of his cage and flicked open the lock with ease. He was much more clever than a normal rat, more clever than most humans, in fact, and his mind throbbed with terrible visions and brilliant schemes to rule the world. He scampered out and made for the table where the family kept their computer. He had no trouble jumping onto the table and opening up the laptop. Then his long, fingerlike claws began to type.
U have disappointed me. I think Mavis and Flintskin need an appointment with the Doctor first thing tomorrow morning.
Papa Ratzi sighed and turned off the laptop. He was not finished with his plans to cause havoc in the world, and neither was he finished with his plans for a weak but troublesome little bunny called Shylo.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
With our deepest thanks to Jane Griffiths, Kate Hindley, Jenny Richards, Sheila Crowley, and Georgina Capel.
TOP TEN FACTS ABOUT
THE US PRESIDENT AND
THE WHITE HOUSE
1. The president of the United States is the head of state and the head of government, so is a cross between the Queen and the Prime Minister. The president is elected by the people and helps make the rules of the country.
2. The president travels to other countries to meet with heads of foreign governments and works out agreements concerning trade.
3. The president is also the Commander in Chief of the United States Armed Forces and can send them anywhere in the world to protect the country’s interests.
4. The president lives in the White House, in Washington, DC.
5. The White House is an office, as well as a home, and since it was built in 1800, every US president has lived there.
6. The first president of the United States, George Washington, supervised the building of the White House, but he did not get to live there! It was the second US president, John Adams, who first lived in the White House.
7. The White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, and is set over 6 levels, to accommodate everyone who lives and works there. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases, and 3 elevators.
8. The White House also has tennis courts, a jogging track, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a cinema, a games r
oom with Ping-Pong tables, and a putting green. Barack Obama added removable basketball hoops to the tennis court so he could practice his own favorite sport.
9. The White House receives more than 6,000 visitors each day.
10. It takes 2,591 liters of paint to cover the outside of the White House—that’s enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool!
QUIZ:
Which Royal Rabbit
are you?
1. How would your friends describe you?
a) Brave and clever
b) Kind and beautiful
c) Well-dressed and watchful
d) Loud and muscly
2. What is your favorite food?
a) Celery
b) Caviar, darling!
c) Canapés at a fancy party
d) A muscle-building drink
3. How do you like to relax?
a) Reading a book
b) Surrounding yourself with shiny, pretty things
c) Dressing up smartly and going out
d) Relax? What’s that?
4. What’s your favorite thing to wear?
a) Anything you feel relaxed in
b) Something that matches your DIAMONDS
c) A tuxedo
d) Sportswear
5. What would be your ideal job?
a) Something exciting that will take you on adventures!
b) Working somewhere you have to be glamorous and gorgeous
c) A secret agent
d) Bossing people around
Mostly As
Just like Shylo, people might think you’re shy and quiet, but you long for adventure and you’re brave, clever, and loyal.
Mostly Bs
Just like Belle de Paw, you love glamour and excitement, and you’re good at spotting things that other people don’t notice.
Mostly Cs
Just like Clooney, you’re clever and charming and take pride in your appearance. You’re always cool and calm, which makes you an excellent spy!
Mostly Ds
Just like Zeno, you’re strong and brave and you have lots of energy! Sometimes people find you a little bit scary, but you’re kind, too, so they don’t need to worry too much.
BUTTERSCOTCH ON THE ROCKS!
You Will Need:
A bottle of butterscotch syrup
Milk
4—5 ice cubes
Your favorite drinking cup or glass
Cocktail umbrella/straw for decoration
1. Place ice cubes into glass
2. Carefully pour in a small measurement of butterscotch syrup
3. On top of that, add enough milk to just cover the ice cubes
4. Finish with the cocktail decorations
5. Sit back and enjoy!
London Landmarks
The Royal Rabbits love traveling around London and taking in the sights.
How well do you know London? Do you know what famous landmarks these clues are describing?
Clue Number One:
This famous landmark can be found in the Clock Tower at the Palace of Westminster.
Clue Number Two:
Perfect for sightseers, this landmark is on the banks of the river Thames and takes thirty minutes to complete a revolution.
Clue Number Three:
Through the years, this landmark has been used as a Royal Residence, a prison, the treasury, the Royal Mint, a records office, and as a house for the Crown Jewels.
Clue Number Four:
The official residence of the UK’s sovereign since 1837.
Clue Number Five:
You can find the Whispering Gallery here, and it was designed by Sir Christopher Wren.
1) Big Ben 2) The London Eye 3) The Tower of London 4) Buckingham Palace 5) St. Paul’s Cathedral
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Born in England in 1970, Santa Montefiore grew up in Hampshire. She is married to historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. They live with their two children, Lily and Sasha, in London. Visit her at SantaMontefiore.co.uk.
Simon Sebag Montefiore’s bestselling and prizewinning books are now published in more than forty-five languages. His book The Romanovs: 1613–1918 has been universally acclaimed and was a bestseller in the UK, Australia, and the USA, where it was on the New York Times bestseller list for eight weeks. Simon has won literary prizes for both fiction and nonfiction. His novel One Night in Winter won the Best Political Novel of the Year Prize and was long-listed for the Orwell Prize. Follow Simon on Twitter @SimonMontefiore. For more information, visit SimonSebagMontefiore.com.
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The Royal Rabbits of London
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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First Aladdin hardcover edition January 2019 Text copyright © 2017 by Simon Sebag Montefiore and Santa Montefiore
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Kate Hindley
Originally published in Great Britain in 2017 by Simon & Schuster UK Ltd. as The Royal Rabbits of London: Escape from the Tower
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Jacket designed by Karin Paprocki and Tiara Iandiorio
Interior designed by Karin Paprocki
Jacket illustration copyright © 2017 by Kate Hindley
Library of Congress Control Number 2018959706
ISBN 978-1-4814-9863-0 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-9865-4 (eBook)
Escape from the Palace Page 8