Mythlands: THE HEIST

Now we Strike a Righteous Blow

The Final day of the celebrations for Queen Celeste's birthday.

The plains outside the city of Celesteville.

'Well Toad, what do you think? I have spared no expense on the theme.'

'Magnificent old chap,' Mr Toad told the monarch of Elephantland, with genuine enthusiasm as he watched the show.

'It was no mean feat to track down Buffalo Bill and transport his entire Wild West troupe to our humble nation, but we achieved it, didn't we Pompadour?'

Babar's ever present friend and adviser Pompadour adjusted his monocle and turned to Toad and The Hare. 'Indeed honoured guests. His Majesty spared no expense in this endeavour. Only the best would do to show the world his love for his Queen.'

The Hare was feeling fidgety. He had endured three days of celebrations and normally would be blissfully inebriated and enjoying himself without a care in the world by now, but this wasn't normal times. The Glass Cat had stuck that Renard idiot with him at all times and he couldn't even break away to see Jessica. Bungle had told him that they would soon be heading to Narnia and to await the signal.

'What signal?' he had asked.

'You'll know,' Glass Cat had told him with a smile.

He was beginning to think nothing would happen. Of course it was at that very moment that the first bomb went off!

The platform they were on descended into a riot of chaos as the crowd panicked ... despite the fact that the explosion ... no, there was a second one and a third ... were coming from miles away.

'Sire!' shouted Cornelius. 'It's the city! We're under attack!'

A pale Babar turned to his Prime Minister. 'We must return at once. My family and all the dignitaries ... get them to safety and keep them here. Is it the Rhinos? Who is doing this to us. Pompadour!!'

'Majesty, stay calm.'

'Calm!!' screamed Babar as he watched more distant explosions. 'Yes ... yes, old friend. I cannot aid the citizenry by panicking. Cornelius, what is being done to protect our people?'

'We have protocols in place for terrorist attacks Babar. Rest assured the rapid response is being deployed as we speak.'

Renard slunk up to The Hare while everyone was distracted. 'Come mon ami, some will be returning to the city with the King. We must make sure we are in the transport with the foreign diplomats. Fear not, we will be, you say ... quite safe. By nightfall we take ze advantage of ze chaos and head West while all attention, she goes south.'

'South? Why South? This is Bungle's doing isn't it. You bastards are behind this and ...' The Hare stopped short as he realised what lay south. 'Ohmigod, the southern border leads to ...'

Renard smiled. 'Oui, it is so. In ze next few hours ze terrorists will be positively identified as agents of Oz. Babar will order troops to collect on his southern border and in response Ozma will mobilize her forces in Gillikin Country and send them north to the vassal state of Ix. It is also posseeblah zat King Rataxes of Rhinoland will take this opportunity to attack the Elephants from the North, citing ze aggression towards Oz as ze reason.'

The Hare swallowed hard. 'Wh why does Bungle want to harm Elephantland?'

Renard's grin widened. 'Ze Glass Cat, e cares nothing about Babar's kingdom. Zis is to draw Oz into a protracted war and to cause chaos in ze West. Ze Cat and Moriarty, zey are taking advantage of ze events in Domain City to ... ow you say, ignite ze flame? Meanwhile we will slip into Narnia ahead of the inevitable border closure!'

The Hare nodded. 'I see. This is the will of Bungle and Lord Loki. It's not what I would have wished for, but I've come to see that its fated. Perhaps when the time comes, our masters may grant us rewards for our service. I'd like to stake my claim to Domain City when it falls. And that bastard Tortoise must remain alive and my prisoner so he can watch as I tear down everything he's built!'

The red fox was delighted. 'Ah Are, mon ami, now you get into ze spirit of things. The masters shall rule all and we, zere loyal Captains, shall reap riches and land as our rewards!'

The foxy bastard was buying it, thought The Hare. He's still judging me by his own low standards, but I'm better than that and they'll all live to regret underestimating me. 'One last thing,' added The Hare. 'I want Jessica. She stays by my side and comes to Narnia with us.'

Renard nodded. 'I sink ze masters will not object.'