by John Mallon
Chapter 29
“They’re here! They’re here!”
The shout filled the Council Chamber, stopping all conversation, all complaints, all rubbing and stretching of aching joints, all adjusting of sweat-soaked clothes. As one, two hundred and seventy three people in the chamber stopped what they were doing and looked at the man standing on the chair peering out of the window.
“Are you sure?” called Ipitch.
“Yes I’m sure” shouted the man. “They’re here. See for yourself.”
By the time Braddle and Grenta made it to the window Ipitch was standing on the chair looking out.
“Yes, they are here alright” he said. “The column is just entering the square.”
He looked round to find Drostfur and noticed Braddle and Grenta watching him intently.
“Braddle, your giant has done it my boy! Your giant has done it!”
He was too excited to say anymore and nearly fell as he jumped off the chair. He must have hurt his knee though because he rubbed it quickly and limped off to where Drostfur was standing talking to the Captain of the Guard. Uncle Malik came up behind them and grabbed their shoulders with his hands.
“We’ve done it Braddle” he said.
Braddle turned and threw his arms around him.
“Yes we have!”
He hugged him tight.
“You can let go now” his Uncle said, laughing. “Save some of your strength for your mother. She’ll be here in a minute.”
“And father” said Braddle, letting go.
“Father? Don’t get your hopes up Braddle” said Uncle Malik. “It is not certain that General Stoo had anything to do with his disappearance.”
“But it is” replied Braddle. “He has just admitted it. Hasn’t he Grenta?”
Grenta nodded.
“Father was the first person he handed over to the giant.”
“Was he now? If they both return then my life is once more complete” said Uncle Malik. “No doubt about it. But Grenta, we’ll have to think up a good excuse to tell your mother and father. We don’t want their brave daughter getting into serious trouble now do we?”
“Don’t worry” said Braddle. “I’ll ask my father to speak to them. He’ll sort it out.”
“Thanks” she said, smiling, “but I can do my own talking.”
Drostfur and Ipitch approached them. Ipitch was still limping but he did not seem to mind.
“Malik we need to get the door open and greet the Ruling Council in full view of the assembled crowd” said Drostfur. “The Captain and his men will guard the prisoners as they have now, I am glad to say, resumed normal duties.”
“I’ll do it straightaway” said Uncle Malik. “Belay! Tableface! Wake up and give me a hand.”
“Wake up he says” said Belay. “Your snoring has kept the whole chamber awake - Should be ashamed!”
“Well Braddle” said Drostfur. “Victory is ours. You should be proud of yourself.”
“I am” replied Braddle “but all I want is to get my mother and father back.”
“Your father?”
“Yes. General Stoo said that he was handed over to the giant.”
“Well, in one sense that is good to hear because it means that my dear friend is not lost but, in another, I am sorry that he got caught up in Stoo’s plot. Stoo has got a lot to answer for. But let’s not worry about that now. Today is a day of celebration. Let us go and greet our old friends.”
The Chamber doors swung open and the morning light ran in excited by the noise outside.
“Braddle and Grenta, lead the way” said Drostfur. “I shall follow with General Ipitch.”
Ipitch glanced at Drostfur. He did not say anything but his eyes sparkled.
The square in front of the Council Chamber was as full as a spronger’s web on a summer’s evening. Instead of waiting for orders to retake the chamber, the soldiers were now pushing the crowd back in an attempt to make a path through the middle so that the returning prisoners could reach the Council steps. The column was about half way through as Braddle and Grenta stopped on the top step. At the head of it were the eleven other members of the Ruling Council. It was followed, in the distance, by a large crowd who had been encouraged to wake up early and witness the miraculous return of their elected representatives.
“Can you see your mother yet?” asked Grenta.
“No not yet. She’s there though. I can feel it” said Braddle, desperate to run down the steps, thrash through the crowd and throw his arms around her neck. He felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Uncle Malik. Next to him was Belay and Tableface. Tableface winked at him. Belay told Grenta to hold Braddle close for it looked as if he was about to charge into the crowd.
“Your mother would like to see you in your usual three dimensions” he said.
Eventually the column reached the steps. He scanned every face in it. Where was she? In the rear of it, he noticed a hand waving. Was that her? He couldn’t be sure but he waved back anyway. Drostfur took up position at the top of the steps.
“Can I ask that the Ruling Council join me up here?” he said.
Eleven men and women walked up the steps, stopped in front of him and turned to face the crowd.
“Citizens of Carporoo we have all been victims of a heinous plot to overthrow the rightful government of Carporoo and to turn our land in to the personal property of a small band of men and women. Men and women whose self-regard only brings bloodshed and suffering to others. The leader of this plot was General Stoo. I am pleased to say that, through the courage of certain citizens, whose names you will soon learn, this plot was defeated. The Ruling Council has now returned and Stoo, along with his fellow traitors, is under arrest.”
A loud cheer sprung up from the crowd, did a somersault over the heads of the Ruling Council standing on the steps and flew into the Council Chamber in search of General Stoo. It found him in his corner still, with his hands over his ears and his eyes shut tight.
“There is so much that needs to be said” continued Drostfur, “there are so many questions and answers that need to be exchanged but I think we need to delay this for a short time. Without rest none of us can do our best. Go back to your homes now. We will meet here again this evening.”
The crowd began to disperse only when the Ruling Council had entered the Chamber leaving Braddle, Grenta, Uncle Malik, Belay and Tableface alone on the top step.
“He’s there on the steps. I’m not waiting any longer.”
The woman she spoke to shook her head.
“I wouldn't bother. You’ll never get through. Wait a bit.”
“No. I haven’t come this far to listen to a speech, even if it is by Drostfur.”
The woman pushed forward.
“Excuse me please” she said to the man in front of her.
“Good luck” called her friend as she disappeared in front of him.
It was a long, hard struggle but she eventually made it through the crowd and emerged out of it at the other end, with a sore rib and a painful scrape on her left ankle, just as Drostfur and the Ruling Council had entered the chamber. Braddle noticed her as soon as she stood on the first step.
“There she is!” he shouted, and ran down towards her.
His mother ran up to meet him. They met in the middle of the Council steps and threw their arms around each other.
“My boy. My boy. I didn’t think I would ever see you again” she said.
Braddle did not reply. His face was buried in her neck and he did not want to let her go, even to speak. Uncle Malik must have joined them because he heard his mother call his name. As if from an infinite distance, he heard him reply that he was glad that she had returned. His mother, laughing, let go of Braddle and spoke to him.
“Glad? Glad?” she said. “You can do better than that. Come here.”
His mother and uncle embraced. Uncle Malik had tears in his eyes.
“What have you two been up to while I was held prisoner by a strange g
iant?” she asked. “I hope you have kept the house tidy.”
Uncle Malik coughed.
“Well, the house might need a little work but we have been busy. Haven’t we Braddle?”
“Yes. Very busy. We’ll tell you about it later.”
Braddle looked over his mother’s shoulder at the diminishing crowd.
“Where’s father? Isn’t he with you?” he asked.
“No. He did not come back with us. Don’t worry, he is alive, I think. I need to speak to Drostfur about him.”
His father had not returned. He was still out there. Why? He would talk to his mother about it later. After all, one of his best friends was a giant. He could help.
“Is that Grenta over there?” she asked, seeing Grenta at the top of the steps. She waved to her and Grenta came down followed by Belay and Tableface.
“GRENTA! GRENTA!” a voice shrieked loudly.
They all turned in its direction and saw Mr and Mrs Morrie push themselves through the crowd. Blitter, Stant and Frohn were not far behind.
“Grenta, you naughty girl” gasped Mrs Morrie. “What did we say? Stay at home and don’t get involved, that’s what. But you disobey us the first chance you get and put yourself in grave danger.”
“How could you do it?” asked Mr Morrie. “We’ve been here all night worried sick. Your mother has cried a lifetime’s worth of tears and the least said about my back the better. Let’s just say my spine and rough ground are not friends and never will be.”
Frohn laughed thinking it was a joke but he was silenced quickly by Blitter with a punch to his shoulder.
“And Malik” said Mrs Morrie. “You should be ashamed of yourself. We gave you shelter in your hour of need and look how you repaid us.”
Uncle Malik did not reply but looked down at his shoes. His face reddened.
“Grenta, what have you got to say for yourself?” asked Mr Morrie.
“I’m sorry” she said. “It was just that I couldn’t…I couldn’t let Braddle down in his hour of need.”
“Braddle’s hour of need!” shrieked Mrs Morrie, again. “What about my hour of need? Don’t I mean anything?”
“Excuse me, may I say something?” asked Belay.
“Who are you?” asked Mrs Morrie.
“An old soldier who has just fought his last battle” said Belay. “Don’t be too hard on your daughter. She came to the aid of Carporoo when she needed help. I know she disobeyed you but sometimes the greater good makes painful demands on us. Her love and respect for you has not diminished in any way. Please find forgiveness in your hearts. I would hate to see this day of joy tainted by the suffering of one of my comrades. Besides, your daughter will be honoured by the Ruling Council. The parents of such a daughter will undoubtedly be held in high esteem…”
Mr and Mrs Morrie glanced at each other and then at Grenta.
“…In addition to your beauty, Mrs Morrie, you will also be celebrated as a defender of Carporoo. Isn’t that right Tableface?”
Tableface looked as if he had just been ambushed.
“Yes. Yes..” he said. “Erm…you are…Yes… gorgeous looking… Yes… If you weren’t married I…”
Tableface stopped abruptly when he noticed Mr Morrie scowling at him.
“That’s settled then” said Belay.
Mr and Mrs Morrie agreed that it was, indeed, settled and embraced Grenta with tears in their eyes.
“I think we should all go home, rest and prepare for this evening” said Braddle’s mother. “Everyone is welcome.”
“About the house, we have something to tell you, don’t we Braddle?” said Uncle Malik, nervously.
“Don’t tell me you have finished it already” replied Braddle’s mother. “That would be a wonderful present to receive on my return.”
“It’s finished” said Uncle Malik “but not in the sense you mean.”
“What?”
“It’s been knocked down” said Braddle.