extended holiday break

Hi
I am not able to get to "Balloons" as much as I want - and I don't see much free time until after New Years, so....

Hope that everyone can find some time to enjoy the holidays and unwind after a bumpy 2016! See you in 2017!

break time!

No story post today, but I should have another part up tomorrow.

Part 22 Part Two Balloons (NaNoWriMo work in progress)

After buying some tea, too much, in Will’s estimation, the three made their way one street over to the Inn, a small and cramped building.

“For such large islands everything here is rather small.” Will complained as they made their way into the wooden doorway one at a time.

“Complaining solves nothing young man!” The General said breezily.

“I agree. It seems to have done little regarding the tea…” William muttered as they made their way to a corner table.

Shortly a rather large man came over, his head nearly hit the ceiling and he seemed to take up about half of the inn’s barroom.

“What you gentlemen have?” he said in a rough cockney accent.

“Are you the owner sir?” The general asked.

The man straightened up. “ Yessir, I am.”

“You’re far from home I am guessing?” The general said with a chuckle.

“So’s yourself.”

“Yes, well, we’re not here long dear fellow, just here to pick up  a few supplies…?”

There was silence.

“Um, yes, Lilly said you might be able to help us!” Moto chimed in. “Said you owed her a tenner?”

“Oh yes, quite right!” The General laughed. The large man’s smile faltered.

“She did, did she?” The man’s tone was business like to a fault now. “Well, I happen to have some lovely tenner in the back. You can come back, only one of ya! And take a look…”

“I’ll go, I know what we need…” said Will.

“Take Moto with you lad, Moto knows a thing or two as well.”

“I said only one” The large man reminded them.

“Oh I am sure Moto won’t be any trouble, and we do so want to avoid any trouble, right sir?”

“Suit yerself.”

The large man strode away quickly with Will and Moto trying to keep up.

 

He led them behind the bar through a backroom into a small shed in the back of the building.

“Right, gentlemen – now before I show you the…”Tenners” I need to know what yer looking for, exactly.”

“Something small, but accurate.” Will said.

“Like an American gun, a Colt or Browning.” Moto said quietly.

“Well, there’s the rub, American guns are always in demand, hard to get. But I do have something you might like, it’s a Browning alright, but made in Spain. Easily enough to get and quality stuff.”

He unlocked a cabinet on the wall and pulled out a drawer. From the drawer he removed a small box and placed it on a table in the shed.

“FNM 1903 model…”

“I thought you said it was Spanish?” Moto said.

“It is made there yes, but I see you know your stuff- it from Belgium originally, but this is Spanish made…”

“Is Spanish good Moto, I thought American would be best…”

“It’s fine. Better than the Webly’s we had… easier to clean. Do you have bullets for the Browning?”

“Of course…”

“We need two.” Will said quickly.

“Two bullets?”

“No, two of these” Will said pointing to the small black gun metal handgun.

“I got this one new and a slightly older one used, all I have in Browning, unless you want some Japanese guns…”

“No, that’s fine.” Moto said.

“Now, here’s the tricky part iddinit? The price.”

“Pounds sterling ok?” Moto said.

“Naturally, now normally these would cost you-“

“Eight pounds, for the both plus three boxes of bullets.” Moto said calmly.

The large man sputtered for a moment. Even Will could not suppress an arched eyebrow. That was more than he earned in two months.

The large man smiled and then seemed to recover.

“Two boxes.”

“Fine, thrown in a spare bottle of oil and a few cleaners and we’ll be done here.” Moto said impassively.

 

The three men left the Inn and met up with the boy and his cart. Moto carefully put the package on the top of the cart, then thought better of it and tucked it under his arms.

“Eight pounds!” Will hissed, careful not to let the boy pulling the cart hear.

“It was prudent” Moto said “He may have asked for only 7 pounds, but we needed to be done and clear. Plus, at eight he’ll likely keep quiet about it.”

“Will, my dear lad, do not worry yourself. I trust Moto completely on these matters, besides which, I will cover the cost, of course. Now speaking of buying, I also fancy a decent lunch. We should fine ourselves a pleasant place.”

“Well, that I can agree on sir.” Will said.

 

They briefly considered dining at the inn, but Will thought it prudent to be as far away from the place as possible. They ended up at a small place near the edge of town. They sat down and a short busty older woman came out. In pained English she explained the menu. In the end all the men just ordered “the especial!” and Will managed to get an extra chunk of bread for the boy with the cart.

A moment later the woman reappeared with some wine and the bread.

“Ahhh, the Colonel will be sorry he missed this fine sweet Portuguese wine.”

“Yes, well, enjoy for a moment, if you excuse me I will take the bread and some water to the boy now.” Will said and got up from the table.

Will headed down the front steps of the restaurant over the where the boy was sitting on the ground next to the cart. He handed the bread and a small jug of water to the boy who accepted them with a broad smile.

Will looked around at the low lying buildings and up the rolling green hill. Off in the far distant he could just make out the basket and the large deflated balloon spread out next to it.

He looked down the road and saw two men walking up it. He squinted… they looked somehow…

            The two men had stopped and were now turned looking up the hill as well. One stuck his arm out and pointed at the balloon and began to talk animatedly to his companion. Suddenly Will recognized one of the men from his internment with the Ingellsdins. He felt his heard leap into his throat.

            “Up lad! Up! Get the cart ready, we have to run now, run up the hill. I will back with the other two gentlemen, ok?”

            “Ay!”

Will tore back to the restaurant and bounded up the stairs.

“General, sir, Moto! We must go back now! We’ve been spotted!”

 

 

part 22 (part one of two) Balloons (NaNoWriMo work in progress, unedited)

[ran out of time and did not really get as far as I wanted- so part two will be posted Monday!]

Chapter 22

 

Will, Moto and the General set out, descending the hill into the sprawling port town beneath. It was early morning, but already the streets were full of people and goods. Carts pulled by people and carts pulled by people jostled for space on the narrow streets with throngs of people going to work, going to market.

“Where do we start?” Moto asked as they stood on a sidewalk on the main street in the town.

“Food, I think.” Will said. “Food, and urm, weapons perhaps.”

“Good lord man! Weapons? Who do you think we shall encounter?” The general harrumphed. Will said nothing but pointed to his face. “Oh, yes, quite right then.But let’s be sensible.”

“Certainly, nothing too big or clumsy. Small, accurate, preferably American made, or French perhaps.”

“Just food and guns then?” Moto asked. “I think we would need fuel too, if we have a couple of days ahead of us?”

“Yes, good point. Anything else for the balloon Moto?” The General asked.

“No Sir, I suspect Port Au Prince would have anything fi we needed it.”

“Yes, assuming they are not overthrowing their government” Will said, absentmindedly as he proceeded to cross the busy street.

 

Meanwhile Liza and Mary were walking up the broad hill. The sun was bright and sky cloudless. Liza scanned it.

“No balloons. I would have thought out here people would be using them more.”

“Perhaps they are too expensive, or risky. I would imagine the winds would pick up here often.” Mary said, her eyes on the ground. “Ohhh! Look!” She stopped and pointed to a short plant less than a foot tall, with broad circular waxy green leaves and yellow flowers. “Tolpis azorica! They’re in the dandelion family you know?”

“Really, I’ve never seen a dandelion that tall, or big…”

“Well, they’re in the family… distant cousin, if you will. I wonder if they’re edible, have to check. I bet I could take a part and… oh! Listen to me Liza, going on about this plant, as if it mattered one bit.”

Liza laughed and knelt down to look at the plant. “You know Mary, I admire you.”

“Really? Why?”

“That you can focus so intently on this plant, and you can recognize the plant, and recognize that it is important to well, recognize it! I wish I could…”

“You can Liza, really. I know you have the mind for it!”

“Yes, perhaps, but not the temperament. I am always scanning the horizon I fear, always thinking about what is next rather than focusing on what is here.”

“Liza, my dear, I think there is room for both of us, you know? Together we can see both ahead and underneath.”

“That makes us a strange beast!”

“No doubt! Oh, look, those bushes!” Mary scrambled up a short outcropping fo rock to waist tall evergreen bushed loaded with small fleshy deep blue fruits.

“Picconia azorica! They’re only here, on these islands. You can eat the fruit too, here, let’s try some.”

“Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure…” Mary smiled and popped one of the small fruits in her mouth. Almost immediately she spat it out with a sour look on her face.

“Are you alright?!” Liza asked.

“Oh, yes, sorry, they are not rip I think!”

 

Back in town Will had quickly found a place to supply them with food. Moto had engaged one of the local youths and his small cart to help them transport the canned goods and packets of dried fruit. “Nothing we have to cook!” Will pointed out. Finding weapons took a bit longer, and quite a bit more tact. Several discreet asks in various shops met with blank stares or, in at least one, angry refusals to even consider that guns could be bought.

They were about to give up when the General noticed a small shop off the main road.

“Tea General? We’re on a tight schedule, I am sure the tea we have already is good enough, if not top shelf-“

“Don’t be impertinent young man!” The General said with a broad grin. “Any tea shop that advertises its name as a tea shopppe in the Portuguese Azores must be run by an Englishman.”  

Englishwoman it turned out. The three of them crammed into the small narrow shop that had the heavy smell of cured tea leaves in it.

“Help you gentlemen?”

“Uh yes-“ Will began but the General cut him off.

“Yes young lady” The general said with a gleam in his eye, the stout woman behind the counter had not been young for several decades in Will’s estimation. “We  have just arrived here and are leaving again shortly, by balloon you know, and we uh, require the acquisition of at least one, uh, defensive item, if you will.”

The flirty smile on the woman’s face dropped. “Why you asking me then? Think I’ve got a revolver in the Earl Grey?”

“No, no” The general laughed. Will looked nervously at Moto, who stared impassively out the window. “Not you. No, of course not, I recognize an upstanding outfit when I see it. No, I was hoping you might know of someone else.”

The woman blinked several times.

“This a joke then?” She said, he voice low and even.

“I can assure you that in no way is this a joke Madam.”

A long silent minute passed.

“Pig and Mead Inn, one street over. Ask for the owner, tell him Lilly said he owes her a tenner.” She said finally.

“Thank you madam” the general said and tipped his hat.

“Right, then, how much will you need?” She said briskly.

“How… much?” the General asked.

“Yes, how much tea. This is a tea shop!”

 

After buying some tea, too much in Will’s estimation, the three made their way one street over to the Inn, a small and cramped building.

“For such large islands everything here is rather small.” Will complained as they made their way into the wooden doorway one at a time.”

 

part 21 Balloons (NaNoWriMo work in progress)

Chapter 21

The Balloon and the attached sedan rose quickly into the night sky. On the floor Will Cogsworth lay breathing heavily and groaning. Mary leaned over.

“Are you quite ok Mr. Cogsworth?”

“Better.” Will croaked. “I don’t suppose you have any hot tea?”

“Something much better young man!” the Colonel boomed. “Some prime Sherry! That’ll heat you right up.”

The Colonel handed Mary down the bottle that he had been drinking from. She helped Will take several small sips.

“You need rest now, Liza, is there a spare blanket.”

“Yes, yes, of course” Liza handed Mary a blanket. Will put his hand up.

“Not yet, need to talk first.”

“You can talk whilst I put the blanket on you!” Mary said. She busied herself with wrapping as much of Will in the blanket as she could.

“Where are we?” Will croaked out.

“Leaving the North, back to London” Moto said.

“Good, good, but we cannot tarry. Not London, if you please. Can we head roughly southwest, and climb to about xx,000 feet?”

“Yes, of course. We’ll hit a stream of fast air that high.”

“Yes, yes.” Will said. “More when it gets light, now, if I could get some brief rest…”

“Of course.” Mary said and then she propped herself up and sat down next to Liza.

 

The five of them looked first at Will, who seemed to drop off to sleep very quickly, and then at each other.

“Not the cleanest of get-aways…” The General said after a few minutes.

“No, but almost.” Moto said gravely.

“You should have seen us Grandfather, it was simply marvelous!”

“Young lady, you just broke into a man’s house and took one of their guests!”

“Who had been kidnapped, and possibly roughed up as well! He has two black eyes Grandfather.”

“Still.”

“Well, it is worse than you think” Said Moto.

“How so?” The general said.

“You and the colonel are now accessories.”

Despite Moto’s serious tone Liza and Mary burst in a fit of giggles, soon joined by the other three.

After a very detailed telling of their adventures in the Inggelsdin’s house the General suggested they attempt to get a little rest. Moto took the first shift and soon enough he was surrounded by a sedan full of sleepers.

As they traveled South dawn came somewhat later thanks to their westerly drift. Will woke up, startled at first, but then remembered where he was.

“General sir, how is our heading?”

“Ah young man, good to see you awake. We have held true, no bumps to mention. Been at quiet a steady clip all night.”

“Do you have any reckoning how long we’ve been in the stream?”

“About 6 hours, 6 and a quarter to be more precise.”

Will sat up and looked around.

“I say young man, Liza was right, you did get knocked around down there.”

“Yes, I suppose so. It probably looks worse than it feels.”

“Will!” Liza was up and nudging Mary. “Mary, wake up. Wake up girl!”

“Are we there yet” Liza asked.

“Where ?” Mary said sleepily.

“Navassa of course!” Liza said.

“So soon?” Mary yawned.

“No, sorry, not Navassa, not yet anyway. I think we should be fairly close to the Azores about now.”

“But It thought we were headed to the Caribbean?” Liza said.

“Well, yes, but that’ll be several days. We need to stop a get supplies in the Azores I think. If we set down on Sao Miguel, Lagoa should offer a good variety fo what we need.”

 

“It sounds as if you have been here before?” The General said.

“Yes, it is a common place for transatlantic balloons to set down and refuel.”

“I have always wanted to explore the Azores.” Mary said, her voice sounding far off. “They have the most fascinating biome it seems, some very clever endemic plants…”

“I am sorry to say that we shall not be abel to tarry very long there.” Will said in a serious tone.

“Why not?” Liza asked.

“Inggelsdin, or at least people who work for him, will be on our tail. But, more importantly, they are also headed to Navassa, ahead of us.”

“Really?! How on earth do they know where to go…?”

There was an awkward silence, Will stared down at the basket floor.

“Ohhhh.” Liza said after a moment.

“I am terribly sorry-“Will started, but the General cut him off.

“Nonsense. The way you look those thugs really alid into you young man, nothng to be sorry about! Now, I agree, we must make haste. Will, if you are able, can you take over from me and guide us to this island-“

“Sao Miguel”

“Yes, that one.”

“Certainly sir.”

 

It was not an hour later that Will set the sedan down on a large rolling hillside that over looked the port of Lagoa. It was a large but sleepy town.

The whole descent Mary and Liza had their heads bowed together in earnest discussion. As the basket landed they both looked up to find the General looking at them with a bemused expression.

“What?” Liza said, a little too sharply.

“I know a plan beign hatched when I see it young lady…”

“Well, yes, I won’t deny it. Mary and I have a proposal- since neither ro fus know what supplies we need, exactly, and neither one fo us hold the purse strong, we propose that we take a short walk about whilst you and Will go into town.”

The General looked at Will, who shrugged. “I don’t see why not Sir, the girls can look after themselves. If Moto can come with us to help carry supplies back…”

“And I can stay here to look after the sedan!” The colonel said, a little too eagerly.

“Mind you stay out of the sherry…” The general said.

“But of course, I had no intention… not when I have a perfectly decent bottle of scotch here!”

[tomorrow should click over 30k words, the original NaNoWriMo target... only 8 days late....]

part 20 Balloon (NaNoWriMo work in progress unedited)

Chapter 20

A groggy moan came back in reply to Liza’s question. Liza stepped back and gasped as the figure in the bed rolled over. Another moan came forth. The man’s face was puffy and both eyes had large black rings around them. The face blinked and blinked again as the man tried to focus.

“Will?” Liza whispered and bent down. “What have they done to you?”

Will croaked something.

“Shh, shh.  We’re here to rescue you. To take you… someplace to get better. Can you walk?”

The man nodded slowly.

“Alright then. Mary, come help me get Will out of bed.”

Mary came over the two of them slowly helped Will roll over and stand up. Although he was shaky, he stood up on his two feet. Mary found a coat hanging up near the bed and helped him slip into it.

“I take it you don’t have a bag?” Liza said, Will shook his head. In the doorway Moto made frantic motions for the three to hurry up.

“Quickly, we have several flights of stairs still!” he hissed.  

The ungainly group made their way soundlessly to the stairs and up to the third floor. They were halfway down the hall, to the door that led up to the servants quarters, when Will suddenly stumbled. He was too heavy for Liza and Mary and he escaped their grasp, falling loudly to the floor. The sound echoed around the house like thunder.

 

“Quickly! Get him up and run!” Moto hissed. From downstairs there came heavy footsteps and a light bounced off the ceiling in the atrium. Moto grabbed one of Will’s arms and hefted him up to his feet with Liza’s help.

Meanwhile Mary ran down the hall to open the door to the roof.

Shouts came from the atrium and the stairs, the sound of running feet.

“Hurry!” Moto hissed as he all but dragged Will down the hall. Will tried his best to walk, but he was making a mess of it.

Finally, after what seemed like hours but was only a few seconds, the three of them came to the door where Mary was waiting.

“Mary, help Moto get him up the stairs. I am going to take care of the door!”

“To do what?” Moto asked.

“There must be a lock or a way to bar it, even if it only slows them down, now go!” Liza said with such force that Moto Will and Mary did not hesitate to start the arduous climb up the steep stairway to the roof.

As Mary grabbed Will’s arms from above him, Moto pushed him with indelicate force from behind. Mary could see past Will’s head to where Liza was frantically working the door’s lock.

“It won’t… there’s no lock!” Liza sounded desperate.

“Hair pin!” Mary said and deftly pulled one out of his hair, causing her black hair to cascade down. Liza looked up, beaming.

“Yes! I’ll jam it in.” Mary gently tossed it and Liza caught the pin with grace.

It was not perfect, but she was able to jam the lock shut.

 “It won’t keep them more than a minute”

“If that” Mary said, huffing as she finally reached the top of the landing together with at least Will’s arms. Liza rushed up past the three struggling and opened the door to the roof.

“Grandfather?” She yelled. “Prepare to cast off immediately! Do not delay!’ Her voice boomed across the still night, but at this point most of the hosue was up so it hardly mattered.

Down below the closed door rattled and shook, there was an angry shout and then more, harder rattling.

“Now! We must hurry!” Moto grunted. Will’s body flailed as they reached the landing and made their way out onto the roof. Mary closed the door behind the, but again did not see a way to lock it from outside.

A few feet away the General and Thornberry were scrambling around. The General tossed Liza a small step stool.

“It’s not enough, Will can’t climb in!” She said.

“Have Moto jump in and we’ll pull him in!”

And so Moto ran up while Mary was left to offer as much help as she could so Will could stumble across the roof top to the waiting sedan. With much grunting and effort they managed to tip Will into the basket. He tumbled in and lay splayed on the floor.

Just then the door to the roof burst open and two large men came tumbling out. Mary was still standing beside the sedan. As she began to scramble in the sedan she felt herself being pulled in by Moto and Liza. As she was almost in she felt a hand grab her leg. With a might kick she broke free and heard one of the men give a large grunt.

Then there was a lurch as the sedan and balloon rose rapidly into the sky. Mary peered over the edge for a moment and saw one of the men holding his jaw with his hand while the other looked up into the sky. With some relief she realized that in the dark o f night they could not see the balloon very easily. Within seconds they were hundreds of feet up and quickly moving away from the house.

Mary sat down on the floor of the sedan, breathing heavily. She noticed Will was still collapsed on the floor with her.

“Well!” she said, looking at the faces of Liza, Moto, the General and Thornberry in the faint glow of the balloon jet, “That was easy!”

Part 19 Balloon (NaNoWriMo work in progress)

Chapter 19

 

Moto carefully guided the balloon and sedan directly over the house. All of them were relieved to see several large open areas on the roof where they could easily set the sedan down. There was also a large glass roof in the middle of the house, forming what they supposed to be an atrium.

“We’ll land on the right side of that glass roof, in the open space… there, by the little door.”

“The top floor will be the servant’s rooms” Liza said. “But if we pick near the center we should find a staircase quickly.”

“Will the balloon be alright if we leave it?” Mary asked in a whisper, despite the fact they were still several hundred yards from the house.

“I suppose” Liza said. “I doubt anyone will think to look up on the roof, even if they do hear us. It will be alright. Plus the General and the Colonel will look after it.”

“Ok ladies, we are going to go down now.” Moto said. “I will try to land in the space next to the roof door in the middle. I want a way to get up to the roof and into the basket as fast as possible once we’re done. Help me make sure the basket does not hit anything on the roof.”

Liza, Mary, the General and the Colonel leaned over opposite ends of the basket and watch as Moto slowly descended the balloon onto the roof. The area he had picked was fairly large and he easily set it down without hitting anything. The basket creaked slightly but otherwise made no noise as it settled on the roof.

“Get out and tie us off if you please.” Moto said to Liza and Mary as he adjusted the flame. “Colonel, come here, let me show you what you need to do, it is very simple. If the balloon begins to lift, turn the flame down like this, if the balloon begins to fall, turn it up like this. What?”

“I was wondering where my corkscrew was man. It is damn chilly out here and I could use some port.”

Moto sighed. “Just watch the balloon Colonel. General sir, keep an eye on this man!” The general nodded.

“Do be careful Moto. If anything should happen…”

“Oh Grandfather,” Liza said as she tied off a line. “Seriously, we will not take any chances, right Moto, right Mary?” They both nodded even though both felt that was close to telling a lie. The General looked doubtful as well, fixing Liza with a stern eye.

“Liza, I never known you not to take chances. Just keep in mind that whoever is holding Mr. Cogsworth kidnapped him by force. These are not nice people we are dealing with.”

“I understand Grandfather. I do promise we’ll be careful.” She leaned over the basket and gave her Grandfather a light kiss on the cheek.

“I’ll be careful too Uncle” Mary said.

“Oh yes, I suppose so!” The Colonel said as he tried to work the cork out of a bottle of port. Mary rolled her eyes.

“Remember” Moto said “Be ready to cast off as fast as possible, keep the gas going!” He, Liza and Mary crept over to the door on the roof. Gently Moto tried the door and to his relief it swung open. It made a tiny squeak as it did, causing everyone on the roof to freeze. After a moment Moto motioned the girls in and all three of them squeezed in through the open door, not daring to open it any further.

Inside, on the small landing, all three lit their lamps.

“We’ll start on the third floor, no sense looking in the servant’s quarters as that would be too alarming to the servants, then we will work our way down to the second. He won’t be on the first and if he is in the basement, well then, God help us. Help me find the stairway down once we get to the fourth floor. We’ll talk no more unless we have too, understood?”

Both Liza and Mary nodded. The three made their way down the narrow stairway until they got to the bottom. Several times the wooden steps groaned slightly, causing them to stop. But each time, after a minute, they heard no other noise and so went on. Luckily the door at the bottom swung out silently and they emerged in a long narrow hallway lined with doors. It was the servant’s dormitory.

It took only a moment to reach the end of the hallway and find a narrow stairway leading down. The house was very quiet, clearly no one was up. They made their way down to the third floor.

The third floor was more open, with a large grand staircase in the middle. In front of it and going both up and down was a large open area, underneath the glass roof they had seen. It formed a sort of courtyard, under glass, around which the rooms were aligned in a square ring.

The three turned right and Moto tried the first door. It swung open easily.

“Right.” He said in a low voice. “If no one is here but servants than all of these rooms should be unoccupied. We just have to find the one that is locked. To save time we’ll go down the hallway methodically ok? We each try a room, so three at a time, and then move down, like a machine.”

Mary and Liza nodded and they all set off. Liza tired the first door, then Mary and then Moot, this way they could move through the twenty rooms on this floor very quickly. Within a couple of minutes they came full circle back to the grand stairway. Moto pointed down and they carefully crept down the stairway to the second floor.

As Mary, who was last, left the stairway and stepped into the hall, the atrium was suddenly flooded with light. Moto motioned them to flatten themselves against the hallway wall opposite the atrium. The light danced and bounced off the walls. After a few seconds it disappeared. Liza started to say something but Moto shook his head. Whoever had shone the light had not seen anything and had walked away.

After another minute of silence Moto motioned them to check the door as they had upstairs.

This time Mary found a locked door on her first try. Moto and Liza hurried over.

“Good work Mary.” Moto said. Mary fairly beamed. “You two keep an eye out for the night watchman.”

“Was that who that was?” Liza asked. Moto nodded as he took out a small leather kit from his pants pocket. He set to work trying to open the lock.

The Mary and Liza it sounded like he was banging on the door practically. They imagined the whole house waking up. But as the seconds went by and there was no alarm raised, they realized it was not as loud as they thought.

It took Moto a full minute, but he did eventually hear the satisfying click that mean he has defeated the lock. Liza and Mary abandoned their posts and hurried over as Moto opened the door slowly. It gave a loud squeak, but he did not stop this time. He knew that they had very little time as it was.

Inside the room was a bed and in the bed a sleeping figure. Liza held her hand up to stay Moto and Mary and crept over to the bed.

She leaned down to examine the sleeping figure for a moment and then popped back up. She smiled and gave Mary and Moto the thumbs up. She then gently shook the figure’s shoulder.

“Will? Will?” She whispered.