The Sleeping Army Awakes

Part 53 Back to the mine Michal and Pawel

Michal and Pawel had reached the roadway with the tramlines and were making their way back to the mine.

"Mr God! Pawel are you stupid?" Michal scolded, "What do you use for target practice? Did you shoot something that we could eat like squirrel or deer or even crow? No! You go and shoot one of his Lordship's Fredding machines. Pawel you've done some silly things in past times but today beats all. You strumpet! why don't you just hang up Fredding sign ten metres tall on hillside saying 'Here we are! Pawel and Michal. Come and get us' you strumpets?"

"Simply you strumpet. I didn't think!" Pawel said, "How was I supposed to know that it would fire back?"

"Strumpet."Michal shouted in exasperation, "Pawel what part of 'don't fire at tank with your little gun' don't you understand. If you shoot at tank make sure you destroy it and all of its friends. Is first rule of battle"

"Is not little gun, strumpet, and it fired," Pawel defended, "at least I got something right!"

"It took you long enough to reassemble it, strumpet, and enough attempts," Michal said and he mimicked choking Pawel by the throat. "You strumpet. You must have been dropped on the head as baby... because that's only thing that would explain such idiotic behaviour. Did you notice that his Lordship was flying in that big yellow and black helicopter of his like some giant hornet just ready to sting whole world to death?"

"How do you know that it was him?" Pawel protested. "you think that you are so Fredding clever strumpet!"

"Who else would be tasteless enough to fly around in that monstrosity?" Michal asked, "And even if he wasn't in it and you had shot it down, then don't you think that he might be just little upset?"

"It felt good though!" Pawel grinned. He was almost immune to his brothers criticisms.

"What felt good?" Michal asked.

"Simply I was striking a blow back at the Zeli Corporation." Pawel shouted punching the air triumphantly, "If I'd seen helicopter earlier strumpet. I would have really shot at that too and damn consequences."

"Pawel you haven't got brains you were born with!" Michal shouted incredulously. "in fact I doubt that you ever did have brains you were born with like Epaminondas in that story."

"You keep on saying that," Pawel protested. "but doesn't make any sense Michal and you know it! If I was born with them then I must have had brains once."

"So little brother. What are you going to do next?" Michal asked more in trepidation than anticipation.

"Next we eat!" Pawel said "Hopefully."

They finally reached the mine entrance.

"Admiral Wellington sir. Pleased to report I got guns working sir." Pawel reported as he attempted a very inaccurate but showy salute.

"So I hear Pawel... and the man whose vehicle you damaged is on his way here now as I predicted." Samuel commented dryly. "Perhaps you should think of a nice story to tell him.

"Oh!" Pawel's enthusiasm evaporated. "Fakt is it just went off in my hand Lord Admiral sir?" he attempted.

"With the gun cocked and with you finger on the trigger, after you had deliberately aimed it at the tank and successfully sniped one of it's warning beacons from a distance of half a kilometre." Samuel admonished. "A distance, which is incidentally, nearly twice the normal operational range of that weapon when new."

Pawel shrugged sheepishly and was unsure whether Samuel was telling him off or giving him a compliment. "It was down hill... It helps Lord Admiral sir!"

"That was quite a feat considering that you were using a automatic weapon that is more suited to a museum than field work!" Samuel observed more precisely than Michal could deal with. "But if you are a trained marksman on duty then no-one would believe that it went off in your hand anyway!"

"My brother is very good shot Lord Admiral sir!" Michal said thinking that he was sticking up for Pawel but he actually made a tense situation worse.

"Yes I aimed it little...just little Lord Admiral sir !" Pawel admitted.

"We will talk about this later!" Samuel warned. "The man coming to see us is called Kapitán Elektra Pawel. I hope that he is happy to meet you again!"

"Oh Mr God no sir!" Pawel said, "I tell you about it later if you still want to know but now we must be doing washing up very urgentlyLord Admiral sir !"

"Thank you Pawel!" Katka smiling at the prospect. "and just when I thought that you had forgotten!"

As Pawel hurriedly left, dragging a reluctant Michal with him, Samuel smiled and said to Katka, "Do you know I think that it will be an interesting encounter."

"Oh dear!" Katka laughed maliciously rubbing her hands in anticipation, "that could be rather awkward for him!"

"Katka that is schadenfreude!" Samuel laughed, "You shouldn't laugh at someone else's misfortune it is most un-Mík."

"You forget that I am not Mik!" Katka laughed. "So I am not constrained to be so goody goody all time... I can't wait!"

"He'll get over it!" Samuel laughed, "Elektra might not recognise him now that he is tidy and Pawel seems to be gifted at giving the truth a novel spin."

"You meet Kapitán Elektra," Katka said mischievously. "I'm going to watch them do washing up. Just to make sure that they do it correctly."