The Sleeping Army Awakes

Part 24 The Book in the Mine

The perception, however false, that the book had been in jeopardy, had given the boys an added impetus to go back to the mine and rescue it, but what Eliška said made some sense. An Engineer that could mend helicopters, really didn't need a boys book of science, especially as the section on helicopters was rather brief. 

Now the boys felt a little foolish and they were wasting precious time that could have been spent on preparing Fish-sub, so the sooner that they got the book back the better

"Liška is right. Simply why have we stopped short of our objective... like two frightened sheeps. You bullock?" Slepý Bobek asked. He started off determinedly toward the mine entrance, leaving his brother standing there opening and closing his mouth.

Slepý Bobek walked right up to the entrance to find Samuel and Katka talking together. But he became less confident again, when he noticed the two automatic weapons lying beside them.

"I've been expecting you!" Samuel said cordially, as Slepý Bobek approached. "I am Lord Admiral Samuel Wellington and this is Kapitán Kateřena Kratka, rather a mouthful don't you think?"

Samuel saw Bobek's nervous look, when he saw the guns.

"Oh don't worry about the guns, neither of them is loaded and both of them need to be cleaned before they are fired." Samuel said.

Slepý Bobek obviously didn't find this entirely reassuring. Samuel felt his fear and handed him one of the guns, holding it by the muzzle so that Bobek could take it by the metal stock and put his own finger on the trigger. Slepý Bobek took hold of the gun and verified that it was not loaded but he was shocked that he rather liked the thrill of holding a real weapon and pressing a trigger, however inactive it was.

"Bobíčku I'm shocked!" Eliška's voice resounded in his head. "Enjoying  sensation  of holding a gun is most un-Mík!"

"I'm only holding it!"Slepý Bobek protested.

"Then why is your finger on the trigger?"Eliška asked.

Samuel  heard the comments and took issue with the statement, but he reasoned that it was a complex question that contained many contradictions and so would require an in depth answer. 

Meanwhile Katka stepped forward and shook Slepý Bobek's hand free hand. Bláznivý Marek shuffled forward and shook her hand mumbling a greeting.

"I've come for our book!" Slepý Bobek announced, as menacingly as he could manage, although his voice was still in the process of breaking, so that came out as more of a squeak. Bláznivý Marek stood a little way behind impressed by his brother's bravado.

"What book is that?" Samuel asked cordially.

"You know what book!" Slepý Bobek asserted.

"I'm sorry I haven't found any books yet!" Samuel said pleasantly, "Although I understand from Eliška that yours is a fine tome of learning and will prove most useful. In fact I would value being able to look at it sometime, if I may, I'm sure that it would be most fascinating."

"So you have been looking for it!" Slepý Bobek accused.

"No we have had other priorities... like staying alive..." Samuel said casually. "so though it may be important to you... I have not moved it; so the book must be where you last put it."

"It had better be!" Slepý Bobek warned, sounding braver than he actually felt.

"You seem pretty assertive for ten year old." Katka said, appraising his height and guessing his age from it. "I would never have spoken to adult like that when I was ten!"