Mythlands: THE HEIST

An Uneven Battle of Wits

AN UNEVEN BATTLE OF WITS

The vehicles race through the desert to retrieve the golden apple. Their occupants and others elsewhere, are lost in thought.

The Hare thinks - 'Everything is going to be ok. We'll find the car, find the apple and Loki will call off his henchmen and things will go back to normal.'

Vali thinks - 'It amuses me, that this ignorant hare believes he can thwart my father's will. This toad creature, though ... he may well be smarter than he looks. He will bear watching.'

Mr Toad thinks - 'By crimminy, the old girl's giving her all. Rough terrain to be sure, but never let it be said that Toad didn't know his way round a roadster! Hmmm, wish I'd bought m'leather driving gloves.'

Little Bear thinks - 'I wish Mr H had got in the limo. I don't like the way that yellow jalopy is careening all over the ro ... he almost went into us! That Toad is a menace!'

Way ahead, at the site of the Thunderbird's wreck, Punchinello, the undersize animated puppet assassin and general all round thug for hire, thinks - 'Bellissimo! The golden apple, she is here! Meester Loki, he be pleased.' He heaves the apple out of the boot and sets up the magic teleportation field to return himself and his prize to the Lucky Cactus, long before The Toad's roadster and Little Bear's limo will arrive.

Back at the Lucky Cactus Casino Resort Complex, Styrr the troll plunges into the deserted Olympic size swimming pool and thinks - 'River is warm. Still can't see fishes!'

50 floors higher, the Golden Goose pours himself a stiff scotch and tries to stop shaking. Reception told him that the boss and the head of security had left shortly before, with a group of people including an Asgardian god and a troll. The Goose thinks - 'It's left the building. I'm safe ... I'm safe!'

Ten minutes from now, the Golden Goose will decide to exit his room, with a towel draped under his right wing. A late night swim will be just the thing to settle his nerves!

Hundreds of leagues to the north, The Tortoise is burning the midnight oil in his office in the corporate headquarters of Mythical Creatures Interdimensional. Something makes him think of his old friend The Hare. He doesn't know why, but he says a silent prayer for his friend's well-being.

Sitting beside Mr Toad, The Hare sees a glint of red and smiles. His worries are nearly over, he thinks.

At the casino, Punchinello appears in his hotel room and rolls the apple aside, before signalling his success to Vali and Loki.

In his palace in Asgard, Loki smiles cruelly and reflects that the plan he put into motion over four earthly months ago is starting to see fruition. He reflects how he arranged for a contact to invite Jessica to perform in the golden city; how this action assured The Hare would accompany her and be in the right place at the right time, so that drink and flattery could set up the fake theft of the golden apple. Now that said apple was not in the lop eared poltroon's possession, that meant The Hare was beholden to the Trickster and would have to do his bidding.

Right now, The Hare thought he was almost out of trouble, but the realization would soon sink in. After all, in a battle of wits, against Loki, even if he were aware of all the twists and turns of the game,

The Hare could simply not compete!