Llama Drama (12 page)

In fact, the only people not celebrating were Farmer Hardman and the villainous Bolt and Dolt. The farmer was grinding his teeth.

“You were supposed to have fixed that llama. I told you:
whatever it takes
!”

“It wasn't our fault – we banged 'em up,” whined Bolt.

“Someone must have let 'em out,” grumbled Dolt.

Afraid they might be overheard, Farmer Hardman kicked the stupid pair in the shins and then walked swiftly away.

He rearranged his face into a smarmy smile and patted Farmer Palmer on the back. “Congratulations,” he said as if the words almost choked him. “Who'd have thought that animal would have such … hidden depths.”

But nothing anyone could say was going to dim Farmer Palmer's happiness. He grinned from ear to ear as he reminded Farmer Hardman, “I did tell you that Lewie was a llama in a million.”

he other creatures that weren't celebrating Lewie's success were the coyotes. In their shared burrow they were sleeping, not entirely peacefully. Some because they had very empty stomachs, others because they were having troubling dreams of being attacked by llamas, and chased away by humans.

The County Fair hadn't been a great success for the coyotes. When they woke they would head off in different directions and try their luck in their home areas. They couldn't exactly bring themselves to admit that Captain had perhaps been right, that it hadn't been the best place to mount an attack. But they now had a slightly grudging respect for the old coyote.

Captain was sleeping too. He would be more than ready to leave that evening and deliver Cupcake safely home. He was blissfully unaware that right now his precious nephew wasn't by his side, but at that very moment he was in the midst of the County Fair.

Lying as quietly as a mouse, Cupcake was hiding beneath the feet of the front row of spectators. He'd watched the whole, unbelievable performance that Lewie, the sheep and the lambs had put on and he was feeling completely blissed out.

“Oh, boy, that was
magic
!” Cupcake whispered. “
Sooo
cool.”

Not for the first time the young cub considered an idea that would have outraged the other coyotes, especially his uncle, if he'd dared to share it – that it seemed such a waste to eat lambs when you could have this much fun watching them dance instead.

Back in the livestock yard there was quite a party atmosphere. Farmer Palmer and Millie and lots of the other farmers were standing around still discussing Lewie and the flock and their amazing performance. They began comparing Lewie to other great Guard Llamas from the past.

“I used to think I'd got a good one with Livingstone,” said Farmer Palmer.

“Oh yes, Livingstone was one of the greats,” the other farmers agreed.

But Millie didn't. “The sheep didn't like him, and neither did I, Papa,” she piped up. “He was too scary.”

The farmers laughed as if Millie had made a good joke. Surely Guard Llamas were meant to be scary – it was in their job description. But now Lewie was proving to Farmer Palmer at least that it didn't have to be that way.

“Well, if you've got any more like Lewie, I'm in need of a new Guard Llama,” Farmer Nettles suddenly announced.

There had been no sightings of Nelson and although it was still possible the old llama might return too, Farmer Nettles had a feeling it wasn't going to happen. And anyway, Nelson was ready for retirement. Farmer Nettles wanted one of these young, new-generation llamas.

The two farmers and Millie walked over to the llama pen, where Farmer Palmer pointed out the various qualities of Leo, Lamar and Latisha.

Hearing themselves discussed, the three llamas once more began to strike poses, trying to show themselves off to their best advantage. Leo puffed himself up and moved close to the fence. He turned his rosette towards Farmer Nettles, as if to advertise his achievements.

Lamar, fearing that his brother might outshine him, shook his head from side to side, so fast that he was briefly blinded by his own topknot. He stumbled into Leo, both llamas careering into the fence with an outburst of honking and braying that caused Farmer Nettles to step back hastily. No, these two were not what he was looking for!

Latisha wasn't going to make the same mistake. She calmly walked forward and stood patiently, trying to demonstrate her superior intelligence, while the farmer weighed her up. So she was more than a little annoyed to see Farmer Nettles looking straight past her – at her sister, Liberty.

“That one looks very like Lewie,” Farmer Nettles observed.

“Oh, that's Lewie's twin sister, Liberty,” said Farmer Palmer, “but she's …”

He was about to say,
not really reliable
, but then he stopped and thought of how ultra-reliable Liberty had been earlier in the week, when the coyotes had attacked and she'd protected Lewie's flock. Perhaps she was changing.

“I think Liberty would make a great Guard Llama,” Millie whispered in her father's ear.

And once again the farmer decided to trust his daughter's judgement. So he didn't mention the llama's little weakness for escaping.

“I don't think you'll be disappointed,” he told Farmer Nettles as the two men shook hands on the deal. Since there was no time like the present, it was agreed that Liberty would move straight from the County Fair to her new home, with her new flock to guard.

Afterwards, Leo and Lamar had plenty to say on the subject.

“How come
The Runaway
gets the big job?” Leo demanded.

“Are they both blind?” asked Lamar. “Can they not recognise a quality animal when they see one?”

“It's not fair!” they both brayed.

Latisha shook her head, then snapped, “I'll tell you what's not fair – that I get left with you two idiots! That's not fair! Tchhh!”

For Lewie, having his sister Liberty in the next pen, in Nelson's place, was like the icing on the cake. It had been such an exciting day and now to see Liberty get her own reward made Lewie even happier. The two flocks of sheep were already firm friends, and Ginger soon let Farmer Nettles' flock know just how lucky they were to have Liberty as their new Guard Llama.

In the middle of this happy scene, the policemen returned. Earlier, Millie and her father had shown them the new piece of evidence, not really expecting to be taken seriously, but here they were, ready to make an arrest at last.

“Have you by any chance seen this item before, sir?” PC Plum asked Farmer Hardman, dangling the piece of red string under his nose.

The farmer tried to shrug it off. “Never seen it in my life,” he lied.

But everyone else recognised it and immediately agreed that it was just like the red string that Dolt used to tie back his ponytail. Surprisingly, he seemed to have lost his, although Farmer Hardman insisted that was simply a coincidence.

But Bolt and Dolt looked scared, and when the policemen asked the men to come along to answer more questions, they panicked and tried to make a run for it. The two villains didn't get far before they were tripped up by a few awkward sheep.

Bolt and Dolt were led away in handcuffs, insisting they hadn't done anything wrong and, anyway, it hadn't been their idea. A deafening chorus of bleating followed them out of the yard. It seemed that all the sheep were glad to see the back of those two.

“I never liked them myself,” Farmer Hardman blustered. “You just don't know who you can trust these days,” he said, pretending to be innocent.

But the other farmers, who'd always had their suspicions about Farmer Hardman, turned their backs and ignored him. He might get away with it in terms of the law, but his reputation among the other farmers was ruined forever.