Gatwick Bear and the Secret Plans (14 page)

After bidding Sam
‘
goodbye' and thanking him over and over for his help, the bears settled down to doing the dishes. When all the washing up was done, Gatwick went to get a box of chocolates for them to share. Jet was invited to eat chocolates with them and stay; he accepted.

That evening, the bears and Jet talked about their future. They all agreed that living in the cave in Emerald Mountain was far too dangerous for Mama. Also, going up to the secret lake every day was fine while she could still manage it. There would come a day when she'd be too old for that climb. No, they had to go somewhere else. They had to go back to Gatwick Airport. Now, the only problem would be to get Mama down the mountain without being seen by hunters. To go down the mountain in the daytime was impossible; they would spot her. The bears couldn't go down on foot at night because it was pitch black, they'd get lost. Impossible. Jet said he couldn't fly Mama down because she was too heavy, his beak would break. The only way was for her to disguise herself and go down by train with the others.

They decided they would leave early next morning and catch the first train down. There were always fewer people around at day break. Gatwick would walk in front of Mama, and Little Sister behind her. Jet would fly around the area and make sure there were no hunters. If there were, he would peck them in the face.

That night they started getting their belongings together. Mama wanted to take her dinner set because it was a wedding present from Bertie's parents; and she had a lot of memories of the good dinners she'd enjoyed on those plates with Bertie. They packed the pieces of the dinner set, layering them with the money so that they wouldn't get broken. It was sad for Mama to leave the house she'd shared with Bertie, but she knew he would have wanted her to be safe. He would not want her to live in danger and, anyway, she was now starting a new life with her little ones who brought her so much joy.

So early in the morning, they all got up and started putting their plan into action. First, Mama unwound the bandage from the little sparrow's leg. She perched it on her paw: “Tweet, tweet”, she chirped to it, kissed its head, then told it to: “Take care of yourself, now fly high, you're a sparrow”. Off the sparrow flew, it span around once to wave
‘
goodbye' to the bear family. They had been so kind.

Now Mama had to disguise herself. Gatwick gave her his sunglasses and fake sideburns. She had better wear her apron too, they decided. Little Sister took her red dickie-bow off and placed it around her Mama's neck. “We think you should pull my suitcase”, said Little Sister, “so you look like a tourist”.

They started towards the train station. The journey was along the narrow rocky footpath, jutting out of the mountain. A sheer drop was to their left, there were no barriers. On the other side of the deep valley were other similar mountains. As they made their way down, they had to keep an eye on the mountains opposite for shepherds with binoculars and rifles. They came to a particularly dangerous elbow bend sloping downhill rapidly. Little Sister held on to Mama's apron string. “Tread carefully here, my dears”, she warned the two little bears, “one footstep out of line here would lead to tragedy”. A strong wind seem to conjure up from nowhere. It raised the dust which blew into their eyes making it difficult for them to see where they were treading. “Slowly, here, my cubs, slowly”, warned Mama. “We'll be there soon”. They got around this blind corner, the footpath became easier. Here they walked a little more briskly.

But, coming around that bend meant that they had come into the sight of a shepherd. He had been lying in wait. Through his binoculars, he looked across the valley. The creature in the middle looked very much like a brown bear to him. His rifle was loaded, he placed it into position and took aim. His finger pulled the trigger. At the same time, Jet flew in his face and pecked his nose as hard as he could, this made the shepherd's arms rise, and the shot was fired into thin air. The man had fallen backwards, Jet sat on his face, jumped up and down while flapping his wings. What a terrified shepherd he was. Jet's intervention gave the bears time to go around another bend, and out of the shepherd's view. In the distance, the bears could now see the train station. Their impulse told them to run, but caution made them continue their steady pace.

They were approaching the station, when the train arrived. Jet was there, too; he saw them onto the train and flew down to the flatland and to the railway station in the valley. After forty minutes the bears arrived, safe and sound. They were relieved and happy to see Jet again.

“Now”, Gatwick began, “let's get a taxi to the Grand Hotel. I think we could spend a couple of nights there and then go back home”.

Everyone agreed with him, especially Little Sister who remembered how she'd been pampered there: “Exciting!” she shouted: “Why don't you come with us in the taxi, too?”, Little Sister asked Jet.

“I'd much rather fly, thank you. See you there”, and off he flew.

The bears opened and ate another box of chocolates in the taxi to celebrate their clever escape.

Now feeling quite at home at the Grand Hotel. Gatwick confidently walked up to the reception desk.

“What rooms will I give you?”, the receptionist asked, surprised to see Gatwick and Little Sister in the hotel again, and this time with their mother and Jet.

“I'm sorry to remind you”, began Little Sister, “but we never got our sweets last time”.

“I gave you one suite”, answered the receptionist, “I remember that very well”.

Now was not the time for arguing.

“Could we have four sweets, please?”, asked Little Sister.

“I'm so sorry, but I only have two left”.

“Fine, we'll take those two”, said Gatwick.

“Yes, Mama and Little Sister take one, and you two can take the other”, said the receptionist pointing to Jet and Gatwick.

“Could we have a marshmallow and a Turkish Delight, please?”

“I see”, the receptionist smiled. Only now had he understood that they meant
‘
sweets'. “Of course”, he nodded, “and would you like some toffee, fudge, and perhaps a lolly or two?”

“Yes, please”, they all sang out together.

Gatwick and Little Sister decided they would show Mama and Jet around the hotel: the swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, and Turkish baths. They would try them all out. Mama was most impressed by the whirlpool. She'd never been in one before, all those bubbles tickling you. What luxury!

And so it was that their second stay at the hotel started out in the best of ways, if it hadn't been for the Red Vultures in the suite between the bears' two suites.

In the last few days, the Red Vultures had also been out looking for Gatwick and Little Sister; but  others had seemed to get to them first. Now, though, the Red Vultures had had the good luck to have the bears come and stay right next door to them. The Red Vultures weren't sure if Gatwick was a friend or an enemy of theirs. It could work out in three ways:

First, Gatwick might have been carrying the documents for someone else, and didn't know anything about the mission to blow up the Kremlin; this seemed unlikely to the Red Vultures.

Second, Gatwick might be working for Anton Weiss in which case he was their friend. Because Anton Weiss was their spy. He pretended to work for the Eagles, under the name of Arnold White. But, if anything was going to be blown up by that powerful polar bear, then it would be done when the Red Vultures gave him the OK.

Third, Gatwick was working for the Eagles and had no idea Anton Weiss was spying on the Eagles for the Red Vultures (and making pretend that he would blow up the Kremlin). Gatwick might believe that the attack on the Kremlin was really going to happen.

In the first case, they would simply let Gatwick go off scot free.

In the second case, the Red Vultures would have to treat him like a prince, a powerful friend.

In the third case, the Red Vultures would feed Gatwick a powerful nerve poison. This would cause dizziness, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps after about three hours. Then after about another three hours he would die the most painful slow death.

Dazbog started going around the hotel in the hope of meeting one of the creatures in Gatwick's party. He couldn't see any of them. Quite understandably, the three bears were sleeping after all the stress of the escape. But, Dazbog spotted Jet in the gardens looking for seeds.

“Mpnbet”, Dazbog said
‘
Hello' to Jet.

“Mpnbet”, Jet replied, it must have meant
‘
hello' he thought.

Dazbog thought this a good start. If he understood Russian, then Jet must have been one of them. Jet didn't like to be disturbed while he was looking for seeds. Jet thought he'd just answer
‘
no' to all his questions. If Jet didn't show interest that might get rid of that big bully of a bird. Just as you think you've got some peace and quiet for yourself, someone has to come along and spoil it. So, Jet decided to answer his questions by just saying
‘
no':

Хороший день не это?

“No”, answered Jet.

Вы остаетесь здесь длинными?

“No”.

Я люблю это, здесь не делают Вас?

“No”.

Jet's technique of answering
‘
no' didn't seem to be working. Maybe he should try answering
‘
yes', instead.

Вы с ребенком Тэдди?

“Yes”.

Вы работаете с ним?

“Yes”.

Вы знаете Антона Веисса?

“Yes”.

Вы в его обслуживании через ребенка Тэдди?

“Yes”.

Вы ...?

Jet had lost his patience. In good wholesome English, he squawked viciously:

“Beat it, willya?”

Here is the translation of the dialogue between Dazbog and Jet. Those of you who do know Russian can go on to the next chapter.

“Nice day, isn't it?”

“No”, answered Jet.

“Are you staying here long?”

“No”.

“I love it here, don't you?”

“No”.

Jet's technique of answering
‘
no' didn't seem to be working. Maybe he should trying answering
‘
yes', instead.

“Are you with Gatwick?”

“Yes”.

“Do you work with him?”

“Yes”.

“Do you know Anton Weiss?”

“Yes”.

“Are you at his service through Gatwick?”

“Yes”.

“Are you ...?”

As quickly as he could, Dazbog moved away. He had got a glimpse of Jet's nasty side and didn't like it at all.
 

Wandering around the hotel, a little later on, Dazbog found Little Sister in the swimming pool whizzing down the long slide shouting: “Wheeee!” with a strawberry lollipop in her paw, a beautiful diamond necklace around her neck, and the hotel's plastic shower cap on her head. While Mama was having her afternoon nap, Little Sister had quietly crept out of the suite and made her own way down to the pool.

Dazbog dived into the pool at the point at which Little Sister would fly off the slide and bumped into her on purpose pretending he was there by accident:

“Very sorry, Miss little white bear”, he apologised.

“Don't worry about it, I'm having so much fun!”

“Haven't I seened you here before?”

“I don't think so, I don't remember  you”, she answered.

“You in room next to mine”.

“I've never noticed you before. Would you like to whizz down the slide with me?”

“I'd love to whizzed. Let's go!”

They climbed the steps to the top. Little Sister sat down ready for the dive: Dazbog sat down behind her. As they were about to slide down, Mama appeared at the door: “What's happening here?” she yelled across the swimming pool. “Get away from my little girl, you greasy vulture. How dare you?”

Dazbog got up, flew down the steps and then out of an open window.

“I'd like a word with you, Miss”, Mama said sternly to Little Sister. “Go up to our room straight away. The moment my back is turned you go off and get yourself into trouble”.

Once in their room, Little Sister sat on her water bed quite afraid. She still had her lollipop in her paw, the hotel's shower cap on her head and the diamond necklace on.

“I've told you many times not to speak to strangers, especially to male strangers”.

“Yes, Mama: but he was so nice, and great fun”.

“You are not old enough to judge who is good and who is bad. Do you remember the story of Little Red Riding Hood? She thought the big bad wolf was good. But, he wasn't, was he?”