Larry. ‘That’s the wrong answer!’
The boy looked shocked.
‘Acrophobia is a fear of heights,’ said Larry.
Larry turned to face the studio audience.
‘As both contestants have a score of four each, let’s move on to the tie-break round. Buzzers only now. Whoever gives me a correct answer to the following question wins the game!’
Larry paused before reading out the final question.
The studio audience held their breath. Mr and Mrs Pilcher clasped each others hand, screwing their eyes shut tight, unable to watch. Miss Yorktown seemed in a kind of trance, willing Emily on.
Larry Cheeseman asked the question:
‘What is the second largest mountain in the World?’
Everything happened in slow motion. Emily’s hand reached out for the green buzzer, but as she did so, she could see the boy doing the same. There was nothing in it; it all depended on who hit the buzzer first.
“BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ”
The drone of a buzzer filled the studio. Everyone’s eyes fixed on Larry.
‘Emily!’ said Larry, ‘GIVE ME AN ANSWER!’
Emily was wide-eyed with excitement. ‘K2,’ she said, praying it was the right answer.
‘CORRECT!’
The studio audience went berserk; they clapped and cheered as Larry Cheeseman pronounced Emily the winner!
Mr and Mrs Pilcher rushed on to the stage to hug and congratulate their daughter. They were joined by Miss Yorktown who lifted Emily clean off her feet, planting a huge wet kiss on her cheek.
‘Congratulations Emily! I knew you could do it!’ she said.
Larry Cheeseman wrote out a cheque for £150,000 payable to the “Wallington Zoo animal repatriation fund” and handed it to Emily.
‘Well done Emily and well played!’ said Larry, smiling.
Emily turned to face her friend Miss Yorktown. ‘I did it for you,’ she said, handing the cheque to Miss Yorktown, ‘and the animals – so that you can get them back to the wild where they belong.’
Miss Yorktown looked at Emily and smiled. ‘Thank you Emily; you really are a special and kind hearted girl – with your donation we can finally get the project underway.’
With that, Miss Yorktown turned on her heel and made for the exit - hustling Larry Cheeseman aside along the way.
‘I’m going to start preparations straight away,’ she called. ‘There’s no time to lose!’
Emily grinned.
- Dreaming of Africa -
Emily sat at the kitchen table watching the rain beat down on the landscape outside. It was late October and the evenings were cold and dark.
Mr and Mrs Pilcher bumbled about in the kitchen preparing the evening meal. They were both big jolly people and kept up a constant banter. ‘Ooh I don’t know if that rain’s ever going to stop!’ said mum. ‘Seems like it’s been raining for weeks,’ replied dad. They were both rather round and the kitchen was quite small but somehow, through years of practice, they managed to orchestrate their movements quite gracefully without bumping into each other or knocking anything over!
Mrs Pilcher served up hot sausages and onions and Mr Pilcher added a huge dollop of cheesy mash, smothered in hot gravy, to each of the plates.
‘Haven’t seen much of Miss Yorktown lately,’ said dad, holding a steaming sausage on the end of his fork. ‘Well, she’s busy with that repatriation programme thingy,’ piped in mum. ‘I’m sure she’ll pop in one of these days. I’m surprised you haven’t been at the zoo helping out, Emily?’
‘Oh… err no - not for a while,’ replied Emily.
Emily tried to hide her disappointment. It had been three weeks since the game show and she had hoped to be involved with the preparations for the animal repatriation; but Miss Yorktown was nowhere to be found. Every time Emily had been to the zoo, she had been told that Miss Yorktown was in a meeting or had gone to see an official or a shipping agent. She was impossible to find.
Emily sighed and continued eating as Mr and Mrs Pilcher went on to discuss the arrangements for a stand that they were organizing for the church’s winter fete.
‘Mrs Peters is baking a cream sponge and I’m going to do a nice manor house,’ said mum…
Just then, they were interrupted by a loud knock on the door.
Mr Pilcher left the table to answer. No sooner had he unlatched the door when Miss Yorktown came bursting through!
‘Ah good, eating well! Glad to see you all keeping your strength up!’ she said, wringing water from her eyes and wiping her nose.
Miss Yorktown stood in the doorway wearing a fisherman’s yellow waterproof jacket and hat, rainwater pouring from the brim of her hat, dripping to the floor. ‘Dreadful weather!’ she said.
‘Right, now to business!’ began Miss Yorktown. ‘Everything has been arranged. The animals are being moved into transport on Thursday and will be by the docks on Friday morning. The captain wants to get away on the morning tide so I need you Pilchards to be ready at port side at 7:30am sharp.’
Mr and Mrs Pilcher looked at each other, confused.
‘Port side? 7:30am?’ said mum, worriedly.
‘Yes, yes, we need a good early start - captain says - early tide and all that!’
‘Do you mean to say you want us to go to the docks to help load up those wild animals?’ said Mr Pilcher.
‘Load the animals on the ship?’ said Miss Yorktown. ‘No, no of course not! They have cranes and forklifts and ramps for that sort of thing … have we not discussed this before?’
Mr and Mrs Pilcher shook their heads slowly from side to side. Emily held her breath, hardly daring to guess what Miss Yorktown was about to say…
‘Ah well, I have been rather busy recently making all of the arrangements! I’ve been all over the place you know, filling out forms, getting visa and licence forms stamped, veterinary clearance, travel arrangements, sleeping arrangements, import tax, export tax, the list goes on…’
‘Yes but, about the docks, port side - early tide and all that…’ stammered Dad.
‘Yes… you do of course realise that if it were not for Emily and her generous donation, this project would never have got off the ground?’ Miss Yorktown continued.
Mr and Mrs Pilcher looked at Emily, worriedly. Emily smiled sweetly.
‘I need you Pilchards to set up and manage base camp,’ added Miss Yorktown, casually.
‘Base camp… what base camp?’ asked Mrs Pilcher, looking very concerned.
‘We are going on a trip to the most fabulous place in the world.’ said Miss Yorktown, smiling. ‘The great African savannah! A plain of grassland stretching as far as the eye can see; where millions of animals flourish and thrive. We will be travelling through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world - westwards through Kenya and deep into Tanzania. We’ll be passing by Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Crater and onto the great Serengeti itself!’
Miss Yorktown paused.
‘I need your help to set up and run the base camp. You will be in charge of meals and communications. We’ll call it “Pilchards Base Camp.” It really should be quite an experience!’
Miss York town removed her hat and wiped more rainwater from her eyes.
‘We sail to Mombasa in a week!’
Mr Pilcher gagged on a sausage while Mrs Pilcher nearly fell out of her chair. Emily leapt for joy and hugged Miss Yorktown.
Miss Yorktown joined the family for dinner and they talked excitedly, late into the night. When Emily went to bed, long after midnight, she slept soundly and dreamed of long ocean voyages, Africa and the plains of the Serengeti!
- Departure -
The mighty African Star rose proudly from the waters edge, dominating the skyline of the docks at Southampton. She was the biggest ship in port and minions of workers rushed about serving her.
The sounds of the working dock filled the air. Cranes, trucks and forklifts busily worked around the mighty ship, positioning containers and good
s. Below decks, a precious cargo was being manoeuvred into place. Careful consideration had been made to ventilation and lighting and, while not perfect, the temporary enclosures for the rare family of cheetahs, pigmy elephants and the speckled leopard would be adequate.
Emily stood on deck tasting the salty air as it buffeted her about, chilling her to the bone on this November morning. The air had a peculiar tang of salt, fish and diesel oil. Emily had to close her watering eyes as another particularly strong gust blew her hair back and froze her cheeks. She waved to all the people dockside as the great ship sounded its horn and slowly departed port. As the ship cleared the harbour, heading out to sea, Emily returned to join her parents - closing the cabin door firmly behind her, insulating them from the howling noise and freezing chill.
The cabin was quite small but very cosy; Emily had a single bunk and a reading lamp next to Mr and Mrs Pilcher’s twin bunk. Both sleeping quarters were adjoined to a small living area with a fridge, cupboard, table and four chairs. It would be home for the next twelve days.
Mum was busy organizing jars of homemade jams and pickles while Dad laid out boxes of tea bags and biscuits, ‘You can’t be too careful,’ he said winking at Emily. ‘Might not be able to get a nice cup of tea in Kenya.’
‘Dad!’ said Emily, flabbergasted. ‘They grow tea in Kenya! If there is one thing we won’t be short of, its tea!’
‘Well you can’t be too careful… that’s all I’m saying,’ said Mr Pilcher. ‘Isn’t that right, mum?’
‘Ooh! You can’t be too careful! When your Aunt Marge went to Torramalinos in Spain, she couldn’t find a tea bag in the whole place… nor a sausage or a rasher of bacon!
Mrs Pilcher fetched a huge mound of sausages and ten packets of bacon from a cool bag and stuffed them into the tiny fridge.
Emily smiled; mum and dad were not used to travelling. The furthest they had ever been was on a day trip to Calais in France… for that matter, Calais was the furthest Emily had ever been. In all the excitement it had not really sunk in, they really were on their way to Africa!
That evening they joined Miss Yorktown at the captain’s table for a special dinner, to toast their departure.
Captain Fernandez stood over six and a half feet tall with bright dark eyes and a spiky white beard. He was a warm and friendly host and greeted his guests graciously.
‘Welcome my friends – welcome aboard the African Star! May I toast your very good health and the successful outcome of your important project. To Africa!’
Everyone joined in the toast and raised their glasses. Mr and Mrs Pilcher looked handsome in the evening wear that Aunt Marge had insisted they take with them. Emily nearly choked when she saw Dad wearing a jacket and tie for the first time!
Emily sat next to Miss Yorktown and they talked eagerly about the journey and all the things that they would have to do in the coming weeks. The evening’s meal was fantastic and they were all as full as could be as the captain recounted his life at sea.
‘… Well it was about that time that we really ran into trouble… a force ten hit us broadside and knocked our little ship about for all she was worth! Oh, the sea can be a dangerous mistress, mark my words!’
The captain rambled on for what seemed like hours. ‘… As we rounded the cape the swirls got up to seventy feet! I’d never seen anything like it!’
Captain Fernandez was an impressive figure, dominating the dining room, but he had not bargained on Miss Yorktown who, time and time again, skilfully steered the conversation back to the subject of Africa and the animal release scheme.
Before long the conversation became a battle of wills between the old sea dog and Miss Yorktown. Emily knew who she was betting on!
‘On my last trip to Africa we noted, of course, that open grasslands are not well suited for leopard. They prefer a more wooded area, where they can climb a sturdy tree and lazily watch the setting sun, as they go about digesting their meal,’ interjected Miss Yorktown.
‘… The merchant fleet wasn’t what it is today, I can tell you... no, no back then, it was quite different,’ continued the captain.
Captain Fernandez and Miss Yorktown traded yarns without heed to what the other had previously said, creating a dizzying confusion of sea stories and African adventures, which the other diners found impossible to keep track of! Emily had long since drifted off into a daydream about a furious old rhinoceros when she was brought back firmly to the here and now by something the captain said.
‘Ahh! Africa!’ the captain said, downing a huge gulp of port. The battle of wills had ended and a sparkle was in the captain’s eye as he addressed his new friends.
‘The plains of the east African grasslands, what a wonderful landscape! Untouched wilderness as far as the eye can see. Hoards of animals thriving in their natural environment, truly nature as it were meant to be.’ Captain Fernandez smiled at Miss Yorktown.
A worried expression came over the captain’s face as he took another huge gulp of the vintage port; hunching down he looked Emily and her parents directly in the eye.
‘Now, if you’ve never been to Africa before you’re in for a treat - but beware, beware the poachers! Never has such an evil band of vagabond and scoundrels sailed the seven seas! …Ooh err, I mean rode the plains of the Serengeti.’
‘My good friends, I beg you to be careful!’
- Voyage -
The days passed slowly on board ship, but gradually the African Star made its passage. The freezing gales and howling winds, that had assaulted the ship for the first few days, eased and gave way to pleasant climes as they passed into the calm blue waters of the Mediterranean.
Mr and Mrs Pilcher spent lazy days on deck, basking in the sunshine, reading paperbacks and doing crossword puzzles.
As they headed south through the Red Sea and out into the Indian Ocean the climate became blisteringly hot with dazzling tropical sunshine.
Captain Fernandez was often around, handsome in his white tropical uniform. He had struck up quite a friendship with the group and allowed them onto the bridge where Emily would sit high in the captain’s chair steering the mighty ship. Miss Yorktown had a keen interest in all things technical and mechanical, spending hours discussing the workings of the ship’s engines and navigation systems with the captain.
Below decks, Emily and Miss Yorktown busily attended to the animals. There was a lot to do, the temperature and humidity had to be closely monitored. A multitude of rare and exotic birds, reptiles, spiders and snakes had to be regularly fed and watered; the larger mammals had to be kept active, or as active as could be in the close confines of the ships hold.
There was a family of Cheetahs to look after; a female called Sheeba and two cubs, Tonti and Toto. Emily spent hours watching the young cubs play. They raced about chasing one another, nipping and pawing at each other’s neck. Then they would stop dead still, crouching, eyeing each other - before springing into the air and landing in a tumbling heap of paws!
The elephants needed the most care; constant feeding, cleaning and watering. There were three orphans; Binda, Zuma and Sultan, who marched about their enclosure happily following each other, flapping their massive ears as they took their exercise.
Kimbar, the solitary old leopard, worried Emily. Sad and forlorn he really didn’t seem to be enjoying the journey at all. Emily sat with the old leopard late into the night, whispering soothing words. As the days went by and they neared their destination, Emily could swear that the old leopard started to perk-up. His eyes became brighter and he looked fitter and stronger - almost as if he understood that he was soon to be free!
On the morning of the twelfth day at sea, Captain Fernandez called the group to join him on the bridge for coffee.
‘Good morning my friends!’ said Captain Fernandez in his usual jocular way. ‘And what a beautiful morning it is!’ Outside the air was crystal clear and the sun’s rays sparkled on the surface of the sea. ‘Today is a very important d
ay,’ the captain said, lifting Emily onto the captain’s chair. ‘Emily, look! What do you see?’ Captain Fernandez thrust his arm out, pointing to the horizon.
The group craned their necks, looking toward the horizon.
Emily squinted, shielding her eyes against the dazzling brilliance of the suns rays shimmering off the sea. She could not see anything… but then, as the ship rolled, a wisp of something far out on the horizon caught Emily’s eye - it could only be…
‘Land!’ she cried.
‘Welcome to Africa!’ cried Captain Fernandez. The group cheered and danced around the bridge. With the captain’s permission, Mrs Pilcher sounded the ship’s horn.
BRRRRRRRGGHHHHNN!
After twelve days at sea the great port of Mombasa beckoned and beyond it, far, far inland, the great dusty plains of the Serengeti awaited them.
- Mombasa -
Emily and her parents disembarked from the ship that had been their home for so long and stood on African soil for the first time. The sights, sounds and smells of the great Kenyan port of Mombasa overwhelmed them.
The port was a hive of activity as ships from all over the World loaded and unloaded precious cargos. Mighty cranes lifted ton after ton of produce, fuel and goods from the multitude of ships. The place was a cacophony of rushing colour and sound and the air was full of the exotic fragrances of trade – spices, fruits and minerals.
The Pilchers stood dockside struggling to acclimatise to the busy port after so long at sea. Captain Fernandez and Miss Yorktown finalised the paperwork and cleared the precious cargo of animals through customs.
Miss Yorktown appeared some time later accompanied by a small man wearing a white suit and hat.
‘This is Dr Aruna, a great expert in African wildlife,’ said Miss Yorktown, introducing the man.
‘He and his team will be responsible for the safe transport and release of the animals into the wild; we are very privileged to have him along with us.’
The group welcomed Dr Aruna. Emily thought that he looked like a nice friendly man; he wore small round glasses and had a big round smiley face. She greeted him warmly.
‘I am very pleased to meet you,’ said Dr Aruna, ‘but, please, we must leave now – we have a very long journey ahead of us.’
A convoy of land rovers, jeeps and trucks awaited them on the waterfront. Emily and her parents took their seats as the ship’s crew and Dr Aruna’s specialist animal handlers carefully loaded the animals and
Emily Pilcher and the Golden Eye (The Adventures of Emily Pilcher Book 2) Page 3