eorge, this really is kind, but I’m not hungry.”
Ned was in his room again, hiding away from training and the desperate looks of an entire military base, all praying that he would succeed. Seeing that he needed cheering up, George had made him an assortment of his favourite treats. Sliced and diced banana, banana fried and grilled, honeyed, sugared, caramelised and even George’s old favourite – banana sushi. The great ape piled up so many dishes that they almost filled Ned’s entire table and he had done so with the last of his private stock of “yellow gems”.
“Not even a bite?”
“Sorry, George.”
He nodded politely, though Ned could tell that the ape was disappointed. The oversized gorilla looked at the table and licked his lips nervously.
“What about Gorrn? Would he like some? We can’t just let it go to waste.”
There was a low “Unt” from the floor.
“He doesn’t eat, George, at least not food.”
“Right,” said the ape, all the while his eyes remained glued to the table.
Ned smiled. “Oh, go on then.”
George didn’t need to be asked twice and almost jumped on the plates of food. He gnawed, chewed and devoured in a flurry of furry greed till halfway through he let out an enormous belch.
“Better?”
“Sorry, old bean, nerves make me a bit peckish.”
“A bit!” smiled Ned.
More than half the table had already been devoured in less than a minute.
“I am very nervous.”
“You’re nervous? I can barely muster a puddle and the entire planet’s depending on me!”
“I know, dear boy. It’s you I’m nervous about.”
George’s wrinkled face sagged, despite the recent infusion of bananas. There was no one better than George at cheering Ned up, no one in the world, but even the great ape seemed to have run out of “cheer”.
“George? I thought you came here to … what was it? ‘Lift my spirits.’ You can’t just gorge on—”
But Ned didn’t get round to finishing as just then Olivia Armstrong burst into the room, her eyes as wide as saucers.
“Ned, we have an emergency – come with me quickly.”
George got up to follow but Ned’s mum barred the door.
“Not you, monkey.”
Olivia Armstrong was not a woman to be meddled with, and certainly not when it came to her son. But if anyone was up to the job, it was George.
“Madam, step aside.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” said Olivia, eyes piercing like daggers.
George’s chest puffed up and the fur on his back bristled. “If it’s all the same to you, I would rather come, Olivia.”
“He’s my son and I’ll decide what’s best for him!”
George’s eyes changed. Ned had seen that look before and what came after was never pleasant. When the ape spoke next, it was in a measured and slow rumble.
“Olivia, I know you are accustomed to being listened to and we have never had cross words before, but I would like to remind you that I love your boy and am sworn to protect him, and if you try and stop me, do so knowing that I weigh several tonnes and become violent when protecting my own, even when they’re someone else’s.”
Olivia Armstrong looked as though she had just been slapped clear across the face. The gentle giant that was George had threatened her. She was about to launch into one of her tirades when Ned took her arm.
“Mum?”
“Yes, dear?”
“He’s coming.”
“But—”
“He’s coming.”
A minute later, they were rushing through the BBB’s corridors till they arrived at the mirror room.
“Mirrors again, Mum?! What’s happened?”
“There’s no time to explain … We’ve had a tip-off and we need to get there quickly.”
Breathlessly they walked into the room that had led Ned to the taiga. This was to be a different mission altogether.
“Madam, where are we going?” asked George.
Ned’s mum took a mirror-key from the wall and looked to her son. It was an almost apologetic look that made his stomach turn.
“Mum, what is it? Where are we going?”
“Grittlesby.”