Poisonous spikes and all things nice
Syra Tanooth stood staring at Marloynne and Mrs McGee. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There had to be a better way to use them. Syra wanted to defeat Pete McGee and become known as a great evil person thingy, but at the same time he wasn’t averse to turning things to his advantage a little. Some might call it emotional blackmail. Some may call it being sneaky. Some may call it dirty rotten cheating. Whatever, Syra thought; those people can think what they like. I just want to win.
He had some ideas of how he could weaken Pete physically, but how to do it emotionally?
Bob sluffed his way over with some ideas (sluffed may not have been a word before, but let me tell you, when Bob moved, he sluffed. If you watch the movie you’ll get it).
‘Perhaps you could pretend they’re dead. Or perhaps you could string them up over a poisonous pool of acid with poisonous creatures in it and spikes.’
‘Poisonous spikes?’
‘By gum, yes!’
Syra nodded.
‘I like that, Bob. You truly are getting more and more evil every day.’
Bob blushed and looked like a red beanbag.
‘Gosh, Syra, you do say the kindest things.’
‘Well it’s true, Bob. It’s almost beautiful to see how evil you are becoming.’
Bob blushed again and waved Syra away.
‘Oh you.’
‘Okay,’ Syra said, ‘enough with the We Love Bob Admiration Society. Let’s get to setting up the poison and the spikes.’
He turned back to Mrs McGee and Marloynne.
‘Yes. You will be hung up over poison and spikes and you will be very, very scared. Your little boy will not save you this time.’
Mrs McGee stood, Marloynne beside her.
‘You do not know my son,’ she said. ‘He is a great man and a powerful knight. He acts out of love and you will not defeat that.’
‘Oh, but I might. I have poison and spikes.’
With that Syra turned and walked away. Behind him, Marloynne pointed two of his fingers at the roof … for some mysterious reason. Mrs McGee slapped his hand and looked at him, her brave facade fading.
‘I am not sure what will happen, Marloynne. I do not know if Pete will be able to save us this time.’
Marloynne shook his head, his voice strong.
‘Don’t say that. Don’t you doubt Pete. He is incredible, and don’t ever tell him I said this, but when we chose him to be our best man, it’s because that’s what he is: he is the best. He’ll save us, don’t you worry about that. Besides,’ he said, trying to lighten the mood a little, ‘I have to see Ashlyn again. We have to get some use out of that wedding dress we paid a fortune for.’
Mrs McGee smiled despite herself. She was glad for Marloynne’s company; it helped her stay strong. Not for the first time though, she wondered where Pete was and if she would see him soon, if she would see him again at all.
Pete McGee rode Lightning hard, urging him on, determination on his face, in the way he moved, and in his heart. It felt like this truly was going to be his biggest test, and he knew that he would pass it. He would not let his mother down.
‘Jeez,’ Molloy said as he walked ahead of the others. ‘I know he’s somehow riding a horse, but it’s like following an elephant that’s been jumping up and down, then taking a step, then jumping up and down. Sweet is the worst ever at covering up his tracks. This is too easy.’
No one else spoke. They just kept walking, hoping they would catch up to their friend before too long.
Syra Tanooth looked at Bob’s handiwork.
‘You truly are a master craftsman, Bob. I would actually like to nominate myself for President of the We Love Bob Admiration Society. Look at the way those spikes angle. Look at the way those points glisten. Look at those real killer sharks and deadly snakes and flesh eating viruses all living in harmony in the tank of poisonous acid that somehow does not dissolve them. Oh. Well, they are all in harmony except for that flesh-eating virus over there. It seems to be eating one of the sharks. Oh, that looks disgusting.’
‘Yes,’ Bob said, smiling. ‘That is Jeeves. He jolly well is my favourite. Look at him devour that flesh.’
‘You’re scaring me a little and that is good,’ Syra said. ‘I don’t scare easily, so anyone else would have been peeing their little pants right now.’
He checked his crystal ball, which showed Pete McGee getting closer by the second. He would be there soon. Syra smiled.
‘Let us hook up the prisoners!’
It was showdown time.