Mythlands: THE HEIST

Babar the Elephant

The highrollers game was finally wrapping up, by the time Mr Toad hopped down the corridor, excitedly, in his attempt to locate The Hare.

It was close to 3am and the corridor outside The Hare's private office suite was deserted, apart from, strangely enough, a certain glass cat.

'Hullo Bungle!' greeted Mr Toad. He was about to ask if The Hare had gone in, or if the poker players had come out, but the rude creature slinked off without a word.

Toad shrugged and entered. 'Evening chaps!' he shouted. 'Who won the pot?'

Ozma of Oz gave him a venomous glare and stalked past, flanked by her bodyguards. 'Ask your fat friend,' she hissed.

'Toad!' cried the winner. 'You have missed such marvelous fun. Tell him Pompadour!'

A second, monocled elephant, attired in 18th century finery emerged from behind the bulk of Toad's friend. 'Yes indeed Mr Toad. It was a glorious victory for his majesty.'

'Tell him about my royal flush Pompadour!'

'The King played a splendid hand with a royal flush,' informed the loyal Pompadour. 'Her majesty of Oz was quite livid that she lost with four aces.'

'It was magnificent Toad m'boy, magnificent! The pot was up to a cool million and ... heh, tell him what happened Pompadour.'

'The Queen couldn't cover it Sir, so she put up the magic flute of Pan.'

'And lost!!'

'And lost,' added Pompadour.

'I say,' mused Toad. 'I've been after that flute for my collection for a bloomin age! So it ended up with old Ozma eh? What a turn up!'

King Babar was positively beaming, his wide grey ears flapping with delight. 'I tell you what old chum ...'

He paused as The Cheshire Cat squeezed past, with a quick grin, a word of congratulations and then a second grin. The room was nearly empty now.

'I intend to put on a concert for Queen Celeste on our anniversary,' Babar continued. 'Tell him what I have planned Pompadour.'

Pompadour adjusted his monocle and dutifully turned to Mr Toad. 'His majesty has planned an extravaganza Sir.'

'You'll come of course!' interjected the king of all elephants.

NOTE – A Glass Cat mini spin off story (CONVENTION OF CATS) takes place between this and the next part and will tie into the main story, both in terms of what has happened and what will happen. This is published in 9 parts and after that the next Heist chapter continues.