MOUSE OF COMMONS. MOUSE OF LORDS.: November 2008

Tuesday, November 04, 2008

PART 7 of GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION...

GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION...
- PART 7

Welcome to the 7th part of our new internet-exclusive, 15 part, mini-adventure by Paul Chandler, once again set in Spain, which is a sequel to GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE PHANTOM PIE-CRAWL and GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE LOST CITY OF BEARCELONA. Although the story refers back to some elements from the previous two stories it can be read on its own and detailed below is a brief summary of the events of the two stories so far. The three stories will be published, along with other stories from this site, in a collection called POSTCARDS FROM MCWHISKERS, due in Spring/Summer 2009.

The story so far…

During a visit to Barcelona; Gladstone, Oliver and Charlie meet a cat waiter called Claud and embark on a pie-crawl around the city. During their adventures they stumble on secret goings-on under a pie factory and discover a map that leads them to The Lost City Of Bearcelona - which just happens to be somewhere on the island of Majorca. The only person who can understand the map is Charlie's father Augustus; who is imprisoned inside a cocoon where he can't cause any further trouble. He isn't dead - and yet he isn't really alive in any proper sense; although he is able to communicate with Charlie psychically and during their visit to Barcelona he escapes and Charlie and he fall through a portal that may or may not lead to the lost city… The portal closes behind them and there is no sign of them for months. This new story takes place almost a year later and nothing has been heard from either Charlie or Augustus…

So far this adventure: Oliver Louse and Laura Dust-mite have trailed Gladstone McWhiskers to Barcelona where there have been sightings of Charlie up in the mountains near Alquézar… On their arrival they can hear the bear howling, but haven't yet seen him. Meanwhile, Charlie is safe and sound, but stuck in another dimension in "The Lost City of Bearcelona", which is rather smaller than expected; he and Augustus are at loggerheads - but Charlie has decided that he will escape - one way or another…

Alquézar, Spain

It wasn’t only Oliver and Laura who heard the unmistakable growl of Charlie Grrr echoing through the streets of Alquézar – but also Gladstone and Claud…

“That’s him! That’s Charlie!” exclaimed the mouse; but this was quite an obvious statement and, of course, Claud knew it too – for their was no mistaking Charlie’s growl – to be honest it wasn’t the sort of sound that locals in obscure Spanish towns were used to hearing; they were used to hearing local cats like Claud doing their daily singing practice – but not to hearing the cry of the lone Beargrrrian bear…

“Does he sound like he’s in pain?” Claud asked Gladstone as they hurried on through the twisty, turny streets of Alquézar. “I wasn’t sure, to be honest…” he admitted.

“No… I don’t think so… That wasn’t a cry of pain – it’s, well – it’s more like a cry to grab someone’s attention…” Gladstone explained. “The sort of call he uses to gain waiters attention in restaurants when he wants another gravy boat or when he’s at home and would quite like another pie, but can’t be bothered to get off his fat behind to fetch it himself…” he added affectionately.

“I have a nasty feeling we’ve missed him; I must have miscalculated Gladstone, I’m sorry…” Claud apologized; but Glad didn’t reply and just encouraged the cat to keep leading them on their way. “The good thing is, at least, that we’ve definitely heard him tonight – so these appearances are definitely genuine and they’ve been occurring increasingly of late too, Gladstone…” he added hopefully. “We can stay here a couple of nights and next time be sure we’re in the right place at the right time…”

All of a sudden Gladstone stopped still and, at first, Claud thought it was because he’d smelt the gorgeous aroma of a local risotto dish that was wafting around the streets from a nearby restaurant; but it wasn’t food that the mouse had detected, but something else – he was staring back the way they had just come as if he had seen something there lurking in the shadows.

"Hello..." he called. "Hello!? Charlie..."

But nothing responded and as they both stared into the darkness Claud wandered if it was just Gladstone's imagination or whether it really was the same beary phantom that the locals of Alquézar had recently been reporting. The more they stared into the shadows the less it looked like there was anything there – for Claud couldn’t see anyone at all.

“What was it, Gladstone?” he hissed, reluctant to speak aloud, for the moment seemed so tense.

“Something – nothing…” the mouse replied rather cryptically, making no sense at all as he walked on ahead – out into a courtyard which looked down to the valley below; but which was dwarfed by a large church on a rock ledge above them.

Claud seemed to recognise the square, but was a little nervous for a group of locals was watching them from a balcony above and seemed quite disapproving of their arrival. It had been much the same when they had been in Majorca and the last thing they needed was trouble from local humans, cats, mouse or any resident animal. Taking a breath to calm himself, Claud cast an eye around the square again and then explained himself.

“This is where I was expecting to see the vision of Charlie tonight…” he explained, but seemed quite confused about something. “I don’t understand it – we’re not late; at least not by our calculations – and we’re in the place where I expected the appearance to occur…”

“Well – either the calculations are wrong – or maybe it’s yet to happen…” Gladstone suggested, but Claud didn’t look too convinced.

“But we heard his growl…”

“Could he have crossed between dimensions?”

“Perhaps – but in that case where is he?!”

“WHERE exactly!!”

Both Gladstone and Claud stood beneath the shadow of the cliff and watched; listening – it was then they both saw it – there on the tarmac before them – a pie and in it were carved four words that sent a chill through them both:

HELP ME!! TIME IS RUNNING OUT!!!

THERE WILL NOW BE A DELAY OF APPROXIMATELY A MONTH BEFORE THE RETURN OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION WHILST I HEAD TO OSLO FOR MY BIRTHDAY TRIP TO BEGIN WORK ON GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE NORSE KNITTING GNOMES, WHICH WILL APPEAR IN A MOUSE OF COMMONS BOOK NEAR YOU SOMETIME SOON… I AM ALSO BUSY PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES TO THE NEXT MOUSE BOOK OF NOVELLAS: GOSSIP FROM THE CHEESE COUNTER AND WILL BE HAVING A BOOK LAUNCH FOR THAT; AS WELL AS APPEARING ON THE RADIO WITH GLADSTONE AND WORKING HARD ON THE NEXT POETRY COLLECTION. TO SEE WHAT I GET UP TO DURING NOVEMBER PLEASE CHECK THE 100TH POST OF MY POETRY BLOG AT: www.thedaffypoet.blogspot.com SEE YOU ALL SOON!!*

THE MOUSE OF COMMONS WILL RETURN FOR PART 8 OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKES AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION ON THURSDAY 4TH DECEMBER 2008!!!

This installment of GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION was originally written in Bierge, Spain on Tuesday 14th October 2008.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF GLADSTONE MCWHISKERS AND THE HULLABALOO DIMENSION...

In this post we continue to look around Alquézar - to see what lies in store within the shadows… Next episode we return to "The Lost City of Bearcelona" to see more of the sights and sounds in that neck of the woods...