The four Raggahoos were on the stage, holding up the rubies and looking very pleased with themselves.
‘I hereby declare that these four contenders have completed the first trial!’ announced Madreesh.
‘No they didn’t!’ shouted Grizzy from the crowd. ‘Three of them never went to the top of the mountain.’
The Raggahoos hissed angrily.
‘But they have the rubies,’ said the dame.
‘I know,’ said Grizzy. ‘But ask them where they found the rubies. What were they in?’
‘I can tell you that,’ said Akabbah.
‘Don’t ask him,’ said Grizzy. ‘Ask the other three.’
The dame stared suspiciously at the fat one, the bony one and the one with curly hair.
‘Well?’ she said. ‘Tell me. What were the rubies in?’
‘Um … er … ah … well …’ said the other three. But then their eyes opened wide in amazement. They were looking over the dame’s shoulder.
Akabbah was standing behind her, flapping his arms, trying to give them a clue.
‘A vulture?’ said the bony one.
‘Ha ha ha!’ laughed the crowd.
Akabbah shook his head. He then pretended to pick up some twigs with his mouth and make a bird’s nest.
‘It’s a cow eating grass,’ said the one with curly hair.
The dame was so astonished by the answers that she hadn’t looked round and seen what Akabbah was up to.
In desperation, Akabbah tried to pretend to be a bird laying an egg. He crouched down, and made it look as if he was pushing something big out.
‘Wah ha ha ha ha!’ screamed the crowd.
At last the dame looked round.
‘What ARE you doing?’ she demanded.
‘He’s trying to tell them it was a bird’s nest,’ said Grizzy.
The dame called the Bigfoot to join her on the stage.
‘Did you put the rubies in a bird’s nest?’ she asked him.
The Bigfoot nodded. Madreesh looked down at Grizzy.
‘How did you know that?’ she asked.
‘Borgon told me,’ said Grizzy.
‘But he’s dead!’ sneered Akabbah.
‘You wish!’ said Grizzy.
Then a chubby savage pushed his way on stage with a huge hat pulled down over his head.
‘Who’s that?’ demanded Akabbah.
Borgon pulled the hat off.
‘Gasp!’ went the Raggahoos.
‘Hooray!’ cheered the crowd.
‘So you finally got here, did you?’ said Akabbah, trying to stay calm. ‘Well, you’re last, so you’re eliminated.’
‘At least I went to the top and back,’ said Borgon.
‘Prove it!’ sneered Akabbah. ‘Where’s your ruby?’
The dame turned to Borgon. ‘I’m sorry, barbarian,’ she said. ‘You have to have a ruby to show you finished the trail.’
‘Akabbah took all the rubies and gave them to his mates,’ said Borgon. ‘But he left behind a yellow egg. Look!’
Borgon reached into the bag and pulled out the pieces of eggshell.
‘That’s not an egg!’ said Akabbah.
‘No, but it WAS an egg,’ said Borgon. ‘And if you don’t believe me, ask her.’
The little duck stuck her head out of the bag.
‘Quammy!’ she said.
The dame turned to the Bigfoot, who was nodding.
‘So you DID go there!’ said the dame.
‘So did we!’ shouted the other Raggahoos.
The dame stared at the three savages. Her long nose twitched suspiciously.
‘Did you know that when there is a lie in the air I can smell it?’ she said. ‘And we have a severe punishment for lying!’
The blue slaves all came up on to the stage and waved their big heavy clubs with spikes on them. The three cheating Raggahoos shook with fear.
‘DEATH DEATH DEATH!’ cheered the crowd.
‘Er … no,’ said the dame.
‘HURT A LOT, HURT A LOT, HURT A LOT!’ chanted the crowd hopefully.
The dame shook her head.
‘SLIGHLY SORE, SLIGHTLY SORE, SLIGHTLY SORE!’ chanted the crowd.
‘NO!’ said the dame. ‘You will all be disqualified.’
‘Booo!’ went the crowd.
‘Oh, thank you!’ said the three Raggahoos, and they quickly got off the stage before the dame changed her mind.
‘So I win, then!’ said Akabbah. ‘I’m the only one left.’
‘No way!’ shouted Grizzy. ‘Borgon went up the mountain too! That’s what this trial was all about, wasn’t it?’
‘The girl is right,’ said Madreesh. ‘The axeboy is still in the competition, so now prepare yourselves to face the next trial.’
A slave came over with two small shields and passed one each to Borgon and Akabbah.
‘Two little shields?’ shouted Eyepatch Woman. ‘Is that all they get?’
‘Boring!’ shouted Mr Rusty Teeth.
‘Give them swords!’ shouted Spike-Head Man.
‘SWORDS!’ echoed the crowd.
‘No,’ said Madreesh.
‘What about daggers, then?’ shouted Eyepatch Woman.
‘DAGGERS?’ shouted the crowd hopefully.
‘Just give them anything dangerous,’ cried out Mr Rusty Teeth.
‘ANYTHING DANGEROUS!’ cheered the crowd.
‘No,’ said Madreesh. ‘This is the trial of a thousand darts.’
‘The what?’ said the crowd.
‘You all get to throw darts at these two,’ explained Madreesh. ‘One thousand of them.’
‘Hooray!’ cheered everyone.