MOUSE OF COMMONS. MOUSE OF LORDS.

PART 4 OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE SANDCASTLE OF DOOM!!!

GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE SANDCASTLE OF DOOM - PART 4.

Part 4 of an exclusive 12 part Mouse of Commons mini-adventure.

"It's a little bit dark in here, isn't it boss?" whispered Ollie nervously, reaching out quickly to grab Gladstone's arm for comfort.

"Ollie..." Gladstone snapped, trying not to sound too cross, but failing. "Ollie - will you please take your hands off me - that's my tail you're holding - not my arm... I'll never forgive you if you stretch my precious tail or end up pulling it off! It's only stuck on with blu-tac, you know..."

"Is it REALLY!?" exclaimed Ollie, sounding shocked - but Gladstone chuckled.

"No Ollie... It's firmly fixed, as ever..." he assured his friend. "However, if you tug it like that again, the situation might change... I need my tail to attach flags to in moments of retreat, surrender or celebration - sometimes for advertising purposes..." he added. "I've been known to rent my tail out to worthy causes before now!"

Ollie wasn't having any of it, but decided to simply ignore Gladstone's supreme silliness. "Sorry boss..." he apologised - letting go of Gladstone's tail. "I really didn't expect it to be so dark in here - you don't have a torch with you or some matches? The Ministry fire-flies are all on strike - so I know you wouldn't have any of those spare - I certainly don't..."

"Neither do I!" exclaimed Glad. "And I don't have matches - a torch - or even a miners helmet either... The only thing I do have is your bucket and spade and the crusts of the sandwiches you didn't eat at lunch time that you wanted me to feed to the seagulls..."

"Yes... Yes... Alright - well don't get over-excited boss, I was only asking!" murmured Ollie, finding that slowly he was beginning to get used to the darkness of the castle. He was beginning to make out shapes and could now see a little further down the dark passageway. "Let's head up this way, boss..." he suggested, hurrying on. "I think I can see candlelight... Maybe someone will put the kettle on for us..."

"If they can see the kettle!!" Gladstone called out, but Ollie was already off down the shadowy corridor.

Ollie hadn't really caught what Gladstone had said, having not waited for his view on the matter. But as he neared the light he suddenly became very nervous indeed. Something wasn't right - he felt an uneasy shiver run down his spine and heard an eerie squelching noise very close by.

"I don't like the sound of that, do you, boss!?" he whispered and reached out to grab Gladstone's paw once more.

But this time it wasn't his furry tail that Ollie found, nor his arm - but something wet and slimey - something that growled at him and smelt of dead sardines and rotten fruit...

"Oh my..." croaked Ollie.

He didn't like this one little bit...

TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.

What will happen next? Next time Ollie and Gladstone meet the owner of the sinister sandcastle of doom.

This instalment was originally written in Guernsey on Monday the 8th of October 2007. Story and Photograph - Copyright Paul Chandler, 2007.

Labels: Gladstone McWhiskers, Mouse of Commons, Oliver Louse

posted by Paul Chandler @ 12:52 PM