“…for Greg, a new member of the society. We have a special welcome balloon for you Greg! This year’s design is, I think you’ll agree, one of the most interesting we’ve ever had. The salmon pink and the mint go so beautifully together. Come on up, Greg.”
To deafening applause Greg walks to the front to receive his balloon.
“Congratulations!
“We are also awarding the second prize in our beauty contest - the mesmerising memorial balloon for services to beauty – to Zobe.”
Zobe blushes and hurries to the front. Treading in something warm and squishy, Zobe realizes with regret that she neglected to put on any shoes today.
“Treasure it most carefully and let it bask in your beauty. Truly this is the most amazing balloon ever.”
“So what was the first prize then, if this is the most amazing balloon ever?” asks Zobe.
Confused, the alifonts look at each other. “We’ve never actually awarded a first prize,” mutters Phil, shuffling self-conciously.
There is an awkward silence.
“And for everybody here today we have a golden SSAB (secret society for the appreciation of balloons) 20th anniversary balloon. These really are something else.”
He hands out the shiny balloons with glee. There is a lot of pushing and shoving and treading on each others' feet. But eventually it seems that everyone has one.
“OK!” shouts Phil, over the chattering, “it’s time for the jelly and ice cream. Who wants?”
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Monday, July 10, 2006
ch03) earlier 12.00pm
In square 41 she found herself outside of a police station, facing a flustered looking detective. Who, unusually, suddenly brightened up at the sight of Zobe.
“’Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello,” he said, “ it’s not often one sees a lovely young lady walking around such a fetching pet wig. I don’t suppose you’d be available this afternoon to help the police a bit?”
Zobe considered all the things she had planned to do with her day. Things like wandering round aimlessly and shouting at pigeons.
She decided to sacrifice this day of fun to help protect her fellow man.
“I’ll do it!” she said. The detective told her there had been a murder at the manor house, and gave her directions and a map! (no corners cut in this story!)
Zobe and her wig smiled at the detective and promised to do their best. They set off together with an air of adventure and excitement around them.
After going the second left, first right, right at the traffic lights, left by the big tree, round the roundabout, across the river (without a bridge or a boat), along the third fork and right into the wood… Zobe spotted something very worrying. There was a strange contraption just at the side of the road. With a slight sense of foreboding, Zobe decided to investigate.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed, “you poor things!”
The mice were just skin and bone, trapped for weeks, it seemed, in these tiny cages. Zobe tried to get lift the cages but there was a complicated locking mechanism. She walked around, hoping to find a clue (‘cos she didn’t have one) and, much to her surprise, found Gimli trapped in one of the cages, his axe thrown into a nearby bush. Zobe picked it up and with great strength and even greater accuracy cut through the cage and set the dwarf free. He was not as thankful as one might have expected. But he did help Zobe to get the mice out. She did not use the axe to cut them loose. That would have been too easy. Instead, she and Gimli constructed a highly elaborate device from an old stop sign, a boot, a bucket, a drainpipe, a helping hand, a crank, a diving board and diver, a gutter, a staircase and a ball bearing.
Having realised too late that they had walked straight into a trap, they used Gimli’s laser beam eyesight to cut their way free and let the mice out too.
Quite why Gimli had sat in the cage for such a long time when he had laser beam eyesight nobody is sure. Perhaps he just wanted to meet Zobe. And who could blame him, she’s such a lovely balloon-headed doll.
“’Ello, ‘ello, ‘ello,” he said, “ it’s not often one sees a lovely young lady walking around such a fetching pet wig. I don’t suppose you’d be available this afternoon to help the police a bit?”
Zobe considered all the things she had planned to do with her day. Things like wandering round aimlessly and shouting at pigeons.
She decided to sacrifice this day of fun to help protect her fellow man.
“I’ll do it!” she said. The detective told her there had been a murder at the manor house, and gave her directions and a map! (no corners cut in this story!)
Zobe and her wig smiled at the detective and promised to do their best. They set off together with an air of adventure and excitement around them.
After going the second left, first right, right at the traffic lights, left by the big tree, round the roundabout, across the river (without a bridge or a boat), along the third fork and right into the wood… Zobe spotted something very worrying. There was a strange contraption just at the side of the road. With a slight sense of foreboding, Zobe decided to investigate.
“Oh no!” she exclaimed, “you poor things!”
The mice were just skin and bone, trapped for weeks, it seemed, in these tiny cages. Zobe tried to get lift the cages but there was a complicated locking mechanism. She walked around, hoping to find a clue (‘cos she didn’t have one) and, much to her surprise, found Gimli trapped in one of the cages, his axe thrown into a nearby bush. Zobe picked it up and with great strength and even greater accuracy cut through the cage and set the dwarf free. He was not as thankful as one might have expected. But he did help Zobe to get the mice out. She did not use the axe to cut them loose. That would have been too easy. Instead, she and Gimli constructed a highly elaborate device from an old stop sign, a boot, a bucket, a drainpipe, a helping hand, a crank, a diving board and diver, a gutter, a staircase and a ball bearing.
Having realised too late that they had walked straight into a trap, they used Gimli’s laser beam eyesight to cut their way free and let the mice out too.
Quite why Gimli had sat in the cage for such a long time when he had laser beam eyesight nobody is sure. Perhaps he just wanted to meet Zobe. And who could blame him, she’s such a lovely balloon-headed doll.
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