The Clockwork Princess

19. Behind the city walls of Manchester

Hours later the wire monorail rail train with the Princesses arrived at Manchester. Mr Kibbins the conductor had called ahead and the Mayor of Manchester not to mention most of the city had turned out to see both Princess arrive. The crowds waved and cheered as the Princess returned. News soon arrived by telegraph that Caligari and a huge army of people were following in trains. Hearing this the Mayor ordered the train stations closed.

Soon they began to hear that Caligari's mechanical people where getting off at stations near Manchester and walking towards the city. The Mayor ordered the city gates firmly shut. By lunch time the old city wall was surrounded by thousands of Caligari's followers. They stood around the city like a huge forest of dolls starring up blankly at the city walls.

The next morning the sun rose around the hills surrounding Manchester. All night Caligari's mechanical people making machine had been running. The country side beyond the mote of the walls was filled with Caligari's mechanical people. They filled the land all the way up to the hills and beyond. Each one held a book by Caligari all silently waiting in the wind.

At a signal they all started throwing their books high over the city walls.

People in the streets of Manchester shouted 'Ow that hurts' as copies of Caligari's books hit them. People started running through the streets avoiding the falling books. Then the books started breaking through windows. From an archway were she was hiding the clockwork Princess dashed out and picked one of the books up to look at it. The Caligari's followers had written notes on the covers like 'so much for diplomacy', 'no more Mr nice guy' or 'just read the first chapter' in the front covers.

Caligari concentrated the stream of books at heavy wooden doors of the city gates. From inside it sounded like a thunderstorm had decided to dance very badly with some very angry elephants.

The rat looked up to the cat.

'Those gates won't stand for ever. We have togot do something'.

'What can we do?' said the Mayor of Manchester 'we only have a couple of catapults to defend us and we don' have any amunition'.

'Get people to collect the books and use them on the captaluts' the clockwork Princess said.

'hmm Good idea' said the Mayor.

The rat had an another idea.

'I'm going for help' said the rat 'if I can get a message to the King he could bring the Kings horses and King's men here to help us'

The rat jumped on to the neck of the cat.

'Come dear friend, I need your help to escape'.

The cat took the rat up to the ramparts and the rat jumped onto one of the catapults.

'What are you going to do?' the cat looked on confused.

'They are going to fire me over the walls towards the hills. Then I'm going to find a way to get a message to the King. Quick hand me that handkerchief will you'

'Are you mad' asked the cat handing over the handkerchief.

'Mad?' said the rat 'I'm furious dear boy' then suddenly the catapult was released and the rat and went shooting through the air like a large bad sneeze.

The rat flew like a bullet through the incoming stream of books. It was like falling through a snow storm of paper. Except the rat released that if he hit one of the books he would be come a tiny rat shaped stain on one of them. Soon the rat was falling from the sky and he held the corners of the handkerchief to form a tiny parachute. The ground was coming towards him. The rat looked to his side to see the quantum cat sailing through the air next to him.

Soon both cat and rat landed on the ground.

'Oww that hurt' the cat said nursing his paws.

'Where did you come from?' asked the rat.

'You suddenly stopped looking at me and I was everywhere, including sailing though the air thanks' the cat said grumpily.

'Sorry' said the rat quickly folding up the handkerchief up 'now lets get to the King before the Princess get's married'.