The Secret of Zanzibar (7 page)

‘And let's say we do make it through the gates,' Alice continued, ‘where are we going to stay? I just assumed Solomon would take care of everything.'

Alex was still nodding.

Alice felt all the anxieties from the night before welling up in her. ‘So what do you think we should do?' she prompted, trying not to let her growing panic show.

Alex slipped his rucksack from his shoulders. ‘It's obvious,' he said.

‘Really? You've got a plan already? That's great, Alex.'

‘Yep,' said Alex, unbuckling the straps of his pack.

‘So what is it?' Alice was so relieved she felt like throwing her arms around her brother – though she refrained, knowing he wouldn't appreciate the gesture.

Alex was rummaging in his pack, a tense look of concentration on his face.

‘Can I help?' Alice said. ‘What are you looking for?'

Alex's face relaxed. ‘Gotcha,' he said. He pulled a piece of cheese from his pack. ‘We should eat something,' he said.

‘Hang on,' said Alice. ‘That's your big plan? To
eat something
?' She glared at her brother.

He shrugged. ‘I can't think on any empty stomach,' he said.

‘Grrrrr.'

They sat on a slope that ran down to the river. As Alex ate, Alice lay back in the long grass and basked in the sun. She should make the most of this moment, she told herself. She'd probably end the day in the dungeon of the palace in Cornoliana. Despite the warmth of the sun on her fur, a shiver of cold ran through her as she pictured herself lying on the chill stone of the damp, dark dungeon. She sat up abruptly.

‘Do you know what I just thought of?' she asked her brother.

‘Yes,' said her brother.

‘What do mean “yes”?' said Alice, irritated. ‘I haven't told you yet.'

‘You're thinking of the mouse in the dungeon,' said Alex. ‘Tobias's son.'

‘How could you possibly know that?' she demanded, astounded.

‘Well, you are, aren't you?' said Alex.

‘Yes,' Alice muttered grudgingly.

‘Me too,' said Alex. ‘He's our cousin, after all.'

‘Is he?' said Alice. ‘I'm not sure.' She thought about it. ‘He's our mum's cousin's son,' she worked out. ‘But I know what you mean: he's family.'

‘He's family, and he's a kid our age, and he's in a dungeon.'

‘And we just left him there,' Alice concluded.

Alex didn't say anything, but he kicked a stone. They watched it in silence as it rolled down the hill and into the river, where it sank. On this gloomy note, they climbed the hill back to the road and set off in the direction of Cornoliana.

‘We still haven't thought of a way to get through the gates,' Alice noted.

‘Let's worry about that when we get there,' Alex replied.

They walked on through the afternoon, not speaking much, lost in their own thoughts. Alice was thinking about the city gates, recalling the Queen's Guards posted on either side. Alex, she grumbled to herself, was probably thinking about food.

Then her brother, who was walking a few paces in front, stopped unexpectedly.

‘What is it?' said Alice.

‘Dunno,' said Alex. ‘There's something up ahead but I can't quite make it out.'

Alice looked in the direction he was pointing, but all she saw was a big dark shape with a small dark shape moving around it.

‘Let's get off the road and see if we can move in closer without being seen.'

They jogged down the slope to the river and walked along the water's edge for a few minutes until Alex said, ‘This should be far enough.'

Back up the slope they climbed and lay on their bellies, peering over the crest of the hill.

‘It's a farmer loading a cart,' said Alex as they watched a mouse with sooty black fur and a broad-brimmed straw hat bending and lifting.

‘I can see that. But what's that he's loading into his cart?' Alice wanted to know.

Alex squinted. ‘Cabbages?' he guessed. Then, as the smell of rotting vegetables hit their nostrils, borne on a waft of breeze, he screwed up his nose. ‘Yuck,' he said, waving a hand in front of his face. ‘Bit past their use-by date.'

Alice, pinching her nose closed, said, ‘Why would he be loading rotten cabbages into his cart?'

Alex rolled his eyes. ‘To take them somewhere, of course.'

He said it like it was obvious, but Alice couldn't imagine who'd want a cartload of rotten cabbages. Before
she had thought of a smart retort, however, the farmer called out, ‘Scooter? Where are you?'

A faint cry came back. ‘Coming, Dad.'

As a young mud-spattered mouse scampered across the field the farmer said, ‘If we don't get these cabbages loaded up quick smart we'll never get 'em delivered to Cornoliana by sundown.'

‘But, Dad,' said the boy, picking up a cabbage and regarding it with an expression of disgust, ‘why are we taking these to Cornoliana? They're rotten!'

‘Yes, they are,' said the farmer, ‘but I've been told to deliver them to the orphanage.'

‘The orphanage?' Scooter sounded puzzled. ‘But why?'

‘I presume so they can make cabbage soup for the orphans,' the farmer replied in a gruff voice. ‘Keep going, son. We've got to get 'em all loaded.'

Scooter worked in silence for a few minutes, lifting cabbages and placing them on the broad flat tray of the cart, before saying, ‘Dad, are the orphans Gerandan?'

The farmer sighed but didn't pause in his work. ‘Yes, son.'

‘Because Sourians wouldn't eat rotten cabbages, would they, Dad?'

‘No, Scoot, I don't suppose they would.'

‘But Dad, it's not fair, is it?' Scooter's voice was rising in indignation. ‘Why should Gerandan kids have to eat the rotten cabbages while Sourians eat the fresh ones?'

‘Shhh. Quiet, son.' The farmer cast an anxious glance
over his shoulder. ‘Don't let anyone hear you talking like that.'

Before Alice could stop him Alex had leapt to his feet. ‘I heard you,' he called.

‘Alex!' she squeaked, aghast. ‘What are you doing?'

Alex looked down at his sister, still lying on the slope. ‘Come on, sis. This is our chance.'

‘Don't!' Alice cried, reaching for her brother's tail to stop him, but he swished it away and crossed the road to where the farmer and his son stood staring open-mouthed.

‘He didn't mean anything by it,' the farmer said, moving to stand in front of his son protectively. ‘He's young. He doesn't understand what he's saying.'

‘I understand what he's saying perfectly well,' Alex said boldly. ‘And I agree with him.'

The farmer regarded him suspiciously. ‘Who are you and what do you want with us?'

‘I am Zanzibar's nephew,' Alex declared proudly, standing up straight and thrusting his chest out. ‘And I want your help.'

‘Zanzibar's nephew?' the farmer breathed. He narrowed his eyes as he considered Alex's white fur. ‘You don't look like him,' he said. ‘I've always been told that Zanzibar has golden fur.'

‘I take after my dad,' Alex explained. ‘But my sister looks like our mum, Emmeline – she's Zanzibar's sister.' He turned and called over his shoulder, ‘Sis, come here!'

Alice couldn't very well stay hidden now. Reluctantly, she stood up, brushed the grass from her fur, and crossed the road. ‘Hello,' she said. ‘I know I don't look like Zanzibar either, but our brother Alistair does – he has ginger fur.'

‘Is that right?' said the farmer, but he didn't sound convinced. ‘What I don't get is what Zanzibar's relatives are doing roaming the countryside spying on innocent Gerandans.'

‘We weren't spying!' Alex protested. ‘I mean, we are spies, but we're not spying
on
Gerandans, we're spying
for
Gerandans.'

‘You're spies?' Scooter broke in. ‘That's cool!'

Alex was trying to look modest but not really succeeding.

‘What's this got to do with us?' said the farmer. ‘We don't want any trouble. We're just loading our cabbages, like we were told.'

‘But it's not right, is it?' Scooter piped up. ‘It's not right that Gerandans have to eat rotten cabbages.'

‘No,' said Alex. ‘It's not right. And we have to do something about it.'

Alice listened in growing admiration as her brother explained their presence in Gerander. She had never heard him sound so grown-up and serious. The farmer seemed impressed too.

‘And Zanzibar is really coming home to lead the protest himself?' said the farmer. He had taken off his hat and was rubbing the top of his head.

‘Yes,' Alice chimed in. ‘The Friday after next. That's when Queen Eugenia arrives.'

‘We'll be there.'

‘Please,' said Alice, ‘tell your friends and family.'

The farmer raised his eyebrows. ‘And what if one of 'em dobs me in to the Queen's Guards? I'll come to the protest, but I'm not tellin' anyone about it beforehand.'

This was their biggest obstacle, Alice knew: fear. But the awful thing, she realised, was that Gerandans didn't just live in fear of the Queen's Guards who occupied their country: they feared each other. And as long as Gerandans feared each other, they would never be free. But how could she make him see that? How could she convince him that trusting his fellow Gerandans was the only way – even if it meant risking his life?

‘A country isn't just a piece of land,' she said slowly. ‘It's not just the river and the trees and the fields. It's the people, too, and the way we live together, the kind of community we make. If we can't unite to face our enemy, then there's no such thing as Gerander and no such thing as Gerandans. And that's exactly what the Sourians want. Divide and conquer. They have used fear to drive us apart. If we ever want to reclaim our country, we have to come together and stand up to the Sourians. We have to let our common purpose as Gerandans define us.' Alice felt a bit dizzy after she'd said all this. Had she said it right? Would the farmer understand what she meant?

Alex looked at his sister. ‘Well put, sis.'

The farmer had a strange expression on his face as he put a hand on his son's shoulder. ‘Let our common purpose as Gerandans define us,' he repeated. He sounded as dazed as Alice felt. ‘I'll talk to some people and see what I can do,' he said. ‘No more rotten cabbages, eh, Scoot?'

‘There's one more thing …' said Alex, as the farmer turned back to his cart.

‘Why are your good ideas always so bad?' Alice groaned as she climbed onto the cart with the rotten cabbages.

‘Hey, sis,' said Alex, ignoring her complaint, ‘do this.' He was peeling leaves off a cabbage and plastering them to his body.

Alice made a gagging sound. ‘Why would I want to cover myself in rotten cabbage leaves?' she demanded.

‘It's a disguise. This way anyone looking into the cart won't see our fur. Or would you rather be caught by the Queen's Guards?' Alex suggested.

Trying not to breathe through her nose, Alice peeled a leaf from a cabbage. ‘This is disgusting,' she said as she wrapped the slimy green leaf around her leg.

‘Ha!' said Alex. ‘You should see yourself. You look like Snaaake Mooouse.' He raised his arms over his head and made a goofy monster face.

Her brother sounded much braver now that they were a long way from the swamp, Alice noted sourly.

He waved a hand in front of his face. ‘And you smell like him too.'

When they were completely covered in green leaves, they lay at the bottom of the cart and let the farmer and his son pile the rotten vegetables on top of them. Then the cart began to move and Alice and Alex were jostled along with the reeking cabbages. Every bump in the road bounced a cabbage into Alice's head or stomach. While spending the night in a stinking, slithering swamp had been probably the worst experience of her life, this would have to come a close second, she decided. If it wasn't the scariest situation she'd ever been in, it was definitely one of the most revolting.