MOUSE OF COMMONS. MOUSE OF LORDS.: PART 4 OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE PHANTOM PIE-CRAWL!!!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

PART 4 OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE PHANTOM PIE-CRAWL!!!

GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE PHANTOM PIE-CRAWL!!! - PART 4

Part 4 of a 15 part internet-exclusive mini-adventure by Paul Chandler, set in Barcelona.

As it happened, Gladstone was actually right to be worried; for he was right - he was being watched. The cat waiter, whose name he recalled from his name badge was Claud - who certainly peeping out at him through a crack in the door - but he wasn't watching Gladstone for the reason that Gladstone imagined. He actually wanted to get a signed photograph of the mouse - or, at least a picture on his mobile phone.

"The bear is here!!" he called out to the chef. "Th ebeat is here and he has the mouse with him - the Mouse of Commons!!"

The array of parakeets and pigeons working in the kitchen looked at Claud blankly; they didn't much like the cat - to be honest and like Gladstone they suspected that he might rather like to eat them.

"Can you believe it..." he sighed - for he had majored in political mouse history at college. "I am SO going to get his autograph..." he muttered.

"Stare at him like that - with your intense catty eyes Claud and he'll have you arrested..." warned the head chef - but Claud was too excited to even hear.

Meanwhile, back in the restaurant Gladstone, Ollie and Charlie had now really worked up an appetite (well, Charlie always had a big appetite - but this one was even bigger than usual!) They'd been reading through the list of pies and pasties on the menu and it had really given them massive hunger pangs.

"I really want my pie..." whispered Ollie, feeling embarrassed for having developed such a sudden craving. "It's all Charlie's fault too..." he sighed, but the bear seemed almost flattered to take the blame for all this.

"It won't be long now..." he assured them. "...and you really MUST help yourselves to some of my pie slices - I'm a little disappointed that you weren't more ambitious in your choices - I have to say..."

Before Gladstone could say anything the kitchen door swung open and he feared that he'd see the waiter cat hovering in the doorway looking hungy again - but instead a fleet of budgerigars filed in carrying plate after plate of pie and dish after fish of luxuriant piping hot beef and chicken gravies.

"HELP YOURSELF!!" cried Charlie and began to tuck in - Gladstone reached out to help himself to some mustard, but he failed to notice what Oliver was up to...

Oliver had scrambled to his feet and had begun to clamber up the gravy boat - although quite what he thought he was up to Gladstone wasn't sure.

"OLIVER! CAREFUL!!" cried the mouse as he noticed his friend losing his footing on the edge of the gravy boat, which was quite slippery with congealed stock.

"I'M FINE, BOSS..." he insisted. "I'm just trying to work out which is chicken and which is..."

But he wasn't "fine" and he never even got a chance to finish his sentence, either. But it was too late for Gladstone to stop him...

With cry Oliver lost his footing and with a loud plop he plunged head first into the piping hot gravy...

TO BE CONTINUED, TOMORROW.

What will happen to Oliver? Who can rescue him from the gravy depths - or it already too late for anything to be done??

This instalment was originally written in Barcelona on Friday 9th November 2007.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE PHANTOM PIE-CRAWL

More pictures below, from the Barcelona trip.

My birthday of the 10th of November was spent in the brilliant Barcelona zoo - but we didn't just want to see the animals - being as I'm writing about the Mouse of Commons - we also wanted to be the animals. This is how we achieved our dream! :)