‘Undo his legs, Ronnie, but not his arms,’ said Bill. ‘He should stand up politely before the King.’
The Count’s legs were untied and he stood up, his face very pale indeed. The King began to address him in vigorous Tauri-Hessian. The Count wilted-his head hung forward-and finally he fell on his knees, a picture of misery and fright. The King touched him contemptuously with his foot, and said a few more words. The Count got up again, and said ‘Ai! Ai! Ai!’ eagerly, which Jack knew to mean ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’
‘He’s going to show us the way out,’ said Bill. ‘Good thing too. I seem to hear a tremendous noise starting up somewhere in the distance. No doubt our friends the sentries have brought all their buddies along-and have discovered the unbolted door and the empty room. Tell the Count to get a move on, Ronnie.’
With his arms still tied behind him the Count stumbled out of the little bare room. He led them to a door opposite and kicked it open. A small stairway led downwards. ‘I’ll go first,’ said Ronnie, and nipped in front of the Count.
The steps led down to a little panelled room, rather like a small study. The Count said a few words, nodding his head at a panel. Ronnie stepped forward and slid the panel downwards. A hole just big enough for a man to squeeze through was now showing. Nothing could be seen the other side because something was hanging over it.
‘Tapestry hangings,’ said Bill, and knocked his hand against it. ‘Well, well-nice lot of hidey-holes and secrets you’ve got here, Count. Very nice indeed. What do we do next? Get behind this tapestry?’
‘He says it’s tapestry hanging in one of the bedrooms,’ said Ronnie.’ If we make our way behind it a bit, we’ll come to an opening. Here goes!’
He went through the hole, and made his way behind endless tapestry that hung loose from ceiling to floor. At last he came to where, as the Count had said, there was an opening. It was where two different pieces of tapestry met. Ronnie poked his way between them and found himself in a bedroom. He saw beautiful furniture and carpets as he flashed his torch round. The room was quite empty.
The others came out into the room too, having made their way behind the tapestry. Jack sneezed because it was full of dust. Kiki promptly sneezed too, much to the Count’s amazement. He had not met Kiki before!
‘Now where?’ said Ronnie, digging his revolver into the Count’s ribs quite suddenly. The man gave a startled jump and almost fell over in fright.
‘I hardly think that poke in the ribs was necessary,’ said Bill, with a grin.
‘No, not necessary-but awfully good for a nasty little double-crosser like him!’ said Ronnie. ‘People who threaten others with this, that and the other when they are in power deserve a bit of a fright from my gun. Now then, Count-the quickest and best way out, please!’
This last was said in Tauri-Hessian and the Count replied at once, his words tumbling over one another in his desire to please this fierce Englishman.
‘It’s easy now,’ said Ronnie. ‘We apparently go down the back stairs into the deserted kitchen quarters, and just let ourselves out of the back door. Nothing could be simpler!’
So down the back stairs they went, and into a vast kitchen. Three cats were there, their eyes gleaming in the light of Bill’s torch. Kiki yapped like a small dog, and the cats fled into corners at once.
‘Kiki!’ said Jack, with a laugh. ‘You’re irrepressible!’
Kiki tried to repeat the word and couldn’t. Bill was now unlocking the great back door. They all went out into a big yard. Then down to the castle gate, a massive wrought-iron affair, whose keys hung most conveniently at the side. Bill unlocked the gate and out they went, finding themselves in the main street of Borken.
‘Now-where is the place we left the van?’ wondered Bill. ‘Jack, could you take Ronnie to it? Ronnie, we’ll wait here for you.’
Jack sped off with Ronnie. He had been in the town several times and knew the way. He and Ronnie were soon in the field where they had left the van, and Ronnie started it up at once.
It was not long before the van drew up beside the other three in the dark highway. They got in. Bill was behind with the Count and Jack. The King went in front with Ronnie. It was queer to sit in the back, with all kinds of goods rattling on the shelves. The Count, however, took no notice. He was feeling extremely gloomy.
‘I say-where are we going? This isn’t the way back to the circus camp,’ said Jack, suddenly.
‘No, I know,’ said Bill. ‘I’m afraid we must go straight to the capital town of Tauri-Hessia, Jack-the King needs to be there at the earliest possible moment. Things are in a great turmoil, you see-nobody knows what is going to happen-no King-no Prince-the Count apparently trying to take things over-the Prime Minister a weak tool …’
‘Yes, I see,’ said Jack. ‘But as soon as the King appears, everything will be all right, won’t it?’
‘It will certainly be all right after he has appeared to his people and spoken to them,’ said Bill. ‘He will have quite a lot of interesting things to tell them! I think, too, it is essential that Gussy should appear also-so that the people will be sure that he and his uncle are on good terms, and back each other up.’
‘Oh, Gussy will love that!’ said Jack. ‘Do we go back to get him?’
‘We do,’ said Bill. ‘And we, also get the others. I’m sure the King will want to see Gussy’s fellow-prisoners. He has a lot to hear about, you know.’
The King certainly wanted to meet all the others when he heard the amazing story that Bill had to tell him. It was all told when they reached the Palace. Then, after a delighted and amazed welcome from a few servants on duty, the King retired to a little room with Bill, Ronnie and Jack. The Count was sent off in disgrace with four soldiers in front of him and four behind!
‘Left, right, left, right!’ shouted Kiki after him. ‘God save the King!’
It was still dark, for the sun was not due to rise for another hour. Jack suddenly yawned. He really couldn’t help it.
‘You’d better have a snooze,’ said Bill. ‘The King is sending his State Car to fetch the others first tiling in the morning. He will lend you some of Gussy’s clothes, he says, if you want to look decent. The others are being sent clothes too, especially, of course, Gussy. He couldn’t possibly appear in his girls’ things!’
‘This is going to be fun from now on,’ said Jack, trying to keep awake. ‘Oh, gosh, I’m sleepy. What are you going to do, Bill? Have a sleep, too?’
‘No. I’m going to get in touch with your aunt by radio,’ said Bill, ‘and tell her you’re all safe. I’ll ‘get her to fly out tomorrow, and we’ll all be together again!’
Jack fell on to a sofa, feeling that he couldn’t keep awake one moment longer. ‘Good old Bill,’ he said. ‘Everything comes right when you’re here. Good-morning-I mean good-night!’
And in half a second more he was fast asleep. What a night he had had!
Chapter 30
‘GOD SAVE THE KING!’
JACK awoke to find a pretty Tauri-Hessian maid bringing him a most magnificent breakfast. Somebody had undressed him, put silk pyjamas on him and popped him into a luxurious bed. He was amazed.
‘To think they did all that and I never woke up!’ he thought. ‘I must have been tired! Gosh-what a breakfast! Kiki, look here-the biggest, juiciest grape-fruit I ever did see in my life-and two halves, not one. You can have one for yourself if you don’t make too much mess.’
Kiki approved of the grape-fruit. She settled down to it, and for once in a way didn’t say a word. Jack ate every scrap of the generous breakfast, and then lay back, thinking over the happenings of the night before.
‘I bet the Count isn’t eating a breakfast like this,’ he told Kiki. ‘What do you think?’
‘The doctor’s got a cold, fetch the King,’ said Kiki, looking to see if Jack had left any of his grape-fruit. ‘One, two, how-do-you-do?’
‘Buckle my shoe, you mean,’ said Jack. ‘I say-look! Do you suppose those princely clothes are for me to put on, Kiki, old bird? Goodness, the Tauri-Hessians won’t know if I’m the Prince, or Gussy.’
Bill came in, looking much smartened up. ‘Oh, you’re awake at last,’ he said. ‘My word, you don’t mean to say you ate all that breakfast!’
‘Kiki helped me,’ said Jack, with a grin. ‘Have the others been sent for yet, Bill?’