‘We meet again,’ said the hotel inspector. Dressed in a raincoat and carrying a briefcase, Mr Grayson seemed pleased to be back.
T. Bear shook Mr Grayson’s paw. ‘Thank you for coming,’ he said.
‘Who could resist an opportunity to eat food by the three best chefs on Animal Boulevard?’ said Mr Grayson.
‘Good evening, sir!’ said Anna, hurrying over. ‘We’re all ready, if you’ll come through to the ballroom.’
‘My pleasure,’ said Mr Grayson.
She showed him downstairs. Guests were already at their tables, enjoying the occasion, and there was a real excitement in the air. Anna placed Mr Grayson at his own table alongside the stage and Mr Ruffian, who watched on gleefully. The Horntops were there, chewing away on a packet of grass-free meadow snacks, as were Simon Suckerlot and Sorrel and Rosie Goat. And they were all counting down the minutes to the start.
Alfonso and Ms Fragranti sat together at the back of the room alongside T. Bear. They cheered as Anna took to the stage.
‘Welcome to Hotel Flamingo for our Battle of the Chefs!’ Anna announced.
The crowd whooped and hollered, and Anna gave T. Bear the nod. He switched on the music, and a loud rock song by The Nocturnal Animals burst out of the speakers.
‘Introducing one of the finest chefs of his generation …’ said Anna, ‘PESTON CRUMBLETART!’
The huge cat jogged into the ballroom, swinging his arms around. His apron flapped as he leapt on to the stage and bowed. He took his position at his bench.
‘And now,’ said Anna, ‘fresh from the Glitz … Laurence Toot-Toot!’
Toot-Toot strode into the ballroom, dressed in his signature black outfit. He lifted his paws, willing the audience to give him even more applause. They roared louder as he clambered on to the stage and found his bench. He slammed a chopper into the chopping board. Toot-Toot meant business.
‘And finally!’ said Anna. ‘Hot from the kitchens of Hotel Flamingo … Madame Le Pig!’
The music boomed louder. The applause became deafening. But Madame Le Pig did not appear.
‘Um …’ said Anna. Her eyes darted across the room, skipping left to right in search of her chef. Her stomach turned over, and a wave of fear and sickness crept through her body. What if Madame Le Pig was having one of her moments?
Anna tried again. ‘Let me present … Madame Le Pig!’
The door opened with a squeal, and finally Madame Le Pig ventured out. But all was not well and Anna could see it. Despite the roar of the crowd, Le Pig looked unhappy as she trod uneasily across the ballroom.
She stepped up on to the stage, turned briefly to the crowd and all the colour drained from her face. She gulped, clenched her trotters and raced from the ballroom.
‘Madame?’ said Anna.
The crowd fell silent. Mr Ruffian looked immensely pleased with himself as Anna grew increasingly uncomfortable on stage.
‘Leave it to me, darling!’ said Ms Fragranti. She danced out of the ballroom, past Alfonso, and found Madame Le Pig nearby, shivering in the corridor.
‘What’s wrong, my friend?’ she asked.
‘This!’ said Madame Le Pig. ‘This is all wrong! I should never have agreed to it.’
‘Madame Le Pig,’ Ms Fragranti said, ‘you are the best chef there is. And that is your crowd. They’re here to see you.’
‘I know that,’ she replied through a grimace. ‘But I cannot go on the stage. I CANNOT!’
Ms Fragranti could see she was suffering from stage fright, just like Alfonso.
‘I can help you,’ she said.
‘NO ONE CAN HELP ME!’ squealed Le Pig.
Madame Le Pig held up her trotters, which were shaking violently. ‘I cannot cook with these things!’ she snorted. ‘They are only good for whisking eggs!’
‘Then whisk eggs, darling,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘I know how good you are; you know how good you are. Don’t let anything stop other people seeing it.’
‘But I always cook alone!’ she said. ‘Not in front of a million creatures.’
‘Just imagine the crowd aren’t wearing any clothes,’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘That’s how I do it.’
Madame Le Pig’s snout screwed up. ‘URGH!’ she squealed. ‘That would be horrible!’
‘WAIT!’ said Ms Fragranti. ‘Listen.’
The crowd were chanting ‘Le Pig! Le Pig!’ over and over.
‘They are your people. They love you,’ said the flamingo. ‘Madame Le Pig, you are AMAZING.’
Madame Le Pig took a deep breath and listened to the crowd. Something stirred deep down inside her.
‘I am AMAZING,’ she said, colour returning to her cheeks.
‘You are the best!’ said Ms Fragranti.
The chef’s trotters stopped shaking. Steam rocketed from her snout.
‘I AM THE BEST!’ she squealed.
‘And are you ready to cook?’
‘I AM READY!’ cried the pig.
And with that she stomped off into the ballroom. The cheers rang out. Anna’s fear-filled face lightened into a smile, and the Battle of the Chefs had begun.
