Act 8: For Whom The Bells Toll
Chapter 24: Before We Can All Go Home
"Then Let Me See Him!", Alfredo almost yells at Zig Zag.
"You will, and soon. But for, I need proof that he would not be hurt.", Zig Zag almost demanded.
"Aye, me voy para coherte a te...", Alfredo says frustratedly to himself in Spanish.
"I would not try anything too hasty. If my staff don't see me when you enter the room, your prince will just disappear again. Not that its a threat to you, but a promise to him.", Zig Zag explains.
"You know that we can get you arrested or worse...*", Victor started to say.
"There will be none of that-", Alfredo interrupted Victor and continued saying, "A promise to the Prince. Explain to me what has been going on."
"Its a long story, but starting from a few days ago when we almost has his private jet crash upon our car, we have been taking care of him, and believe me it has not been easy- with people trying to kill him at every turn ever since.", Zig Zag explained.
Alfredo reaches onto his jacket and pulls out his PAW750i PDA, scribbling on it for a second or two before sliding it to Zig Zag on her desk, "Was anyone of them looked like this?"
Zig Zag takes the PAW750i PDA and stares at the screen. The image on it was that of Repteal along with a text of her description. She tries not to show emotion, but holding back a response is still a response.
"I see you have...", Alfredo then says.
"What makes you think that I have...", Zig Zag started to say.
"Your reaction... if you had not had dealings with her, your reaction would have been very different.", Alfredo explains.
"Alright, you have me there.", Zig Zag replied, "Now explain to me who you are."
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"They are taking too long...", Prince Francisco started to say.
"Just sit and relax.", Sabrina tells him.
The prince stood up and paced around the room for a moment, giving Sabrina and the nearby door an occasional glance.
"Sit down, will you?", Sabrina said, "Look when Zig Zag thinks that its safe to bring you out, she will notify us... somehow."
The prince stops at his tracks for a moment and gives her a look. "Not good enough for me.", he then says.
"Can you trust those people?", Sabrina asks.
The prince gives the air a sniff before answering, "Yes.", he then answered.
"Then I'll go ahead of you.", Sabrina says.
"No... Too many have died because they had put themselves ahead of me.", he said. "I'll go, you can follow if you want.", he then added as he stepped to the door and opened it before stepping outside into the hall.
"Wait!", Sabrina almost shouts as she jumps out of her seat.
Together they started down the hall towards Zig Zag's office.
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"We are the Guardians of the Royal Spanish Family...", Alfredo stated.
"That is nice to know, but do you have any form of identification? I mean, one can come with the police and name names and say titles and credentials, but without some form of proof, it really means nothing.", Zig Zag explains to him.
"You know, you have me there.", as Alfredo stands up and reaches into his back pocket to pull out his wallet. He opens it with several assorted plastic cards sticking out of it, and a tiny metal badge that matches the embroidery patch on his jacket, and places it on her desk.
Zig Zag just looks at it without as much as picking it up for a closer examination. Then she extends a claw as she strokes the badge within its holder. Feeling the intricacies of its details: the smoothness of the purple enameled background and the lumpiness of the tiny bricks of the gold tower. "Tell me, what does this represent?", she asks.
"It is the Family Crest, the tower is that of the house of the royal family, the background is of the family colour. But not all of us wear the same badge. They all contain the purple background and the tower- this represent that we care for the family. Some of us have canons in front of the tower, meaning that we protect the motherland. Others have canines in front of the tower, meaning that we guard the home and property- the castle itself. Some may have flags- signifying...", Alfredo started to explain.
"Signifying Ambassadorship and Message Officers to other countries.", Prince Francisco finished the statement.
The three seated lions turned around to see the doorway where the Prince stood, next to and slightly behind him, Sabrina. Alfredo slowly gets up, but is signaled to remain seated by the prince who had walked into the room with Sabrina trailing behind him.
"So, it finally end.", Prince Francisco said, adding, "Fill me on the details."
"It does not look good for your father, the King. Your mother, the Queen, has ordered all guards to return him and prepare for his funeral...", Alfredo explains.
"Has father died?", Prince Francisco asks.
"I have not received such news yet, but he may not make it through the night.", Alfredo says.
"Why have you not returned for home yourself?", the prince asks.
"I, we have remained to stay until either we found you or the king dies. Since, we have now found you, we can all go home.", Alfredo says.
"We will go, but on one condition.", the prince asks.
"Condition? Isn't that what got you in trouble in the first place?", Alfredo asks, "Name it."
"First of all, which bird is at the airport?", the prince asks.
"The family jet- of course.", Alfredo answers him.
"That is good. Now, my condition is that my friends go with me.", the prince says.
"But Sir... this is highly inappropriate.", Alfredo commented. The other two remained in silent protest.
"Look, despite the difficulties we had run into, these ladies stood by me through this whole ordeal and attempts on my life. Therefore they are to be my guests and if it deemed to be, my consorts for the coronation.", Prince Francisco explains.
"But don't we need passports or anything?", Sabrina steps in to add her own words.
"That will be taken cared off... so don't worry.", the prince says.
"Gee, a coronation... I have nothing to wear.", Zig Zag says, holding back the urge to laugh.
"Wait- What about Tabitha!", Sabrina almost yells.
"Everyone is going. You, your sister, your friends... everyone.", the prince says.
"This is so highly irregular...", Alfredo says to himself.
"Get used to it my confidante.", Prince Francisco tells him.
"About how many people are we talking about?", Alfredo asks.
"Hmm... I would say about 10 guests.", the prince answers.
"Just 10?", Alfredo asks.
"Yes, about 10.", Prince Francisco answers him.
Alfredo lets out a sigh and says to himself, "At least its not 200."
"There is one more thing.", the prince says.
"What is it?", Alfredo says.
"Somebody died because of my being here. I would like to leave something behind for him.", the prince says.
"For your information, a couple of the guards were killed looking for you.", Alfredo said in protest.
"Then their deeds will not go unjust. But this was a civilian who sacrificed himself for others, and who was killed because of my interaction with this city.", the prince explains.
"We will do what needs to be done, after we get you home.", Alfredo demanded.
"Alright then, I guess I can do more as King than if I were a lonely prince.", Prince Francisco says.
"What about transporting these people to the airport?", Alfredo asks.
"We have our own ride.", Zig Zag says.
"Ride?", Alfredo asks.
"Automobile.", the prince answers.
"Then we can leave now...", Alfredo says, unsure what the response would be.
"We will have to pick up a couple along the way, but yes.", the prince answers.
"You ride with me then...", Alfredo tries to set his authority.
"No, I ride with them, and after everyone is picked up, we all go to the airport together.", the prince answers.
"Have it your way then...", Alfredo stated.
Gathering the group together in the hearse, Zig Zag drives, following the other limousines to the airport with the prince sitting between her and Sabrina. Everyone else was either sitting in the back row behind them or coffin holding area. Thomas and Timothy are picked up from their home along the way, and all are driven to a private area in the airport. Along the way, Alfredo calls the queen to tell her that he has found Prince Francisco and is heading home with him.
Support crews take the vehicles to a private parking lot as Zig Zag, Sabrina and the rest of the group stood around the tarmac, waiting with the others as the Lockheed L1011 approaches to the loading area after being prepped and fueled.
The ground crew arrives first in a motorized passenger stairway, and parks it by the fence that separates the passengers from the loading airport runway. Not far behind the jumbo jet slowly rolls onto the loading area, being pulled into place by a aircraft hauler. Once it stops, the ground crew drive the motorized stair way up the plane and raise the stairs into place against the rear entrance. One of the ground crews opens the door of the plane before walking down the stairs.
The Prince, Alfredo, and Victor walk about the aircraft, inspecting it at various points, taking notes before gathering under its belly. For a moment they discuss of the plane's condition as a waiting ground crew stands not far from them with a clip board within his crossed arms. The doctor has stood by the fence as if waiting but in actuality blocking the gate from others. Eventually Alfredo steps away from the group and steps to the ground crew, taking the clipboard from him and points out various parts the airplane to him. He then signs off on the clipboard and returns it to the ground crew.
The three run up into the airplane through the motorized staircase, and after several seconds, the jets are turned on at their minimal settings, and the control surfaces begin to move. The Doctor cups his right ear with his paw and says something, which can not be hear through the roar of the engines in the background. His nodding though seems to be a positive indication though.
He opens the gate and signals to the others to approach, and then walks to the stair case, stopping at its bottom. The others follow.
"Walk up the stairs and down to the front of the plane. Your seats will be there, just sit down, fasten your seat belts and relax.", he tells them. With each of the ladies, he assisted then with the first step, especially with Amy who was carrying little Timothy in her arms. Thomas on the other hand was left carrying the bags.
"Oh wow...", Tabitha says as she walks down the aisles of the plane.
"This is not your first airplane ride, Tabitha.", Sabrina tells her little sister.
"Yeah, but it my first with it being empty. Its always filled with smelly people...", Tabitha replies.
"That not a nice thing to say, Tabitha...", Sabrina says.
"Its not nice being in a stinky airplane...", Tabitha returns.
"Sit down over there and you know how to tie your seatbelt- right?", Sabrina says and then asks.
"Yes Sabeena...", Tabitha says as she crawls onto the seat and takes the seatbelt to her paws to study the ends before fitting them together. Sabrina takes the seat next to her and studies her actions before doing her own seatbelt.
Zig Zag takes Darke Kat with her to the row in front Sabrina, as Amy and Timothy takes the seats in the aisle across from them. Amy sits down and manages to put on her seatbelt on with Timothy on her lap while Thomas secured the bags containing the baby's things in one of the overhead compartments.
Jameeka takes a seat closest to the aisles, across from Zig Zag and Darke Kat.
"This is Madrid Air 226. We will be taking off for Spain shortly after the ground crews have cleared the area. It will take about 5 hours to get there. During that time, refreshments will be served and all facilities will be available for your accommodations.", a familiar voice says over the loud speakers.
Soon, the plane is rolling under its own power to the runway. It waits at the end for clearance from the control tower due to heavy traffic conditions of the airport.
A shadowy figure crawls out from the grassy lawn that lines the runway, making its way to the landing gear. It soon finds its way up the structure just before the plane starts to roll down the runway. Finding a maintenance door in the landing gear bay, it finds itself within the belly of the aircraft, making its way to the pressurized area of the plane.
Within minutes the airplane lifts off from the runway, and climbs skyward to its destination.
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King Ferdinand sits up upon the bed with the sheets dropped to his waist. He takes the back of his paw and wipes his forehead with it, as the medical staff examines his vital signs.
"Looks like the treatment worked.", the doctor says as he looks down the king's maw, and feeling a the base of his neck against the glands that lie there.
As the medical staff starts to draw away, King Ferdinand speaks, "Enough of this. When can I leave of this place?"
"There are several more tests to run, but as long as you can return to take those test, I don't see any reason to keep you.", the doctor says.
Queen Miranda steps into and out of the closet in the room, laying down the king's suit and clothes next to him, which were tightly wrapped in plastic. She also pulls out a small bag from her purse and holds it in her paws, "We would like a moment to be alone."
"Fine, we'll be back in about an hour.", the doctor says as he looks at his staff.
"While you're at it, release the news of the king succumbing to his disease.", the Queen stated.
"You sure want to do this?", the doctor asks.
"Just do it. We'll take care of the mess that follows afterwards.", Queen Miranda tells him.
"Aye, then it shall be done.", the doctor says as he steps with his staff to the door. Together they leave.
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Somewhere over New York at 50,000 feet, heading Eastward at under 650 miles per hour, Madrid Air 226 receives a message from the North Atlantic Air Control.
"Madrid-226, this is North Atlantic Air Control. Do you read us?", a voice breaks into the headphones. The message repeats itself after some seconds had past.
"This is Madrid-226, we read you.", Prince Francisco answers back as all three look at each other.
"We have a message from Spain for the Prince, is he there?", the voice in the radio says.
"This is the Prince Francisco speaking. What is the message?", the prince asks.
"The message is "The King is dead.'", the voice in the radio says.
The three of them stare at each other in silence, for what seemed to be an eternal few seconds.
"Did you receive the message?" the voice in the radio asks.
After another couple of seconds, Prince Francisco replies, "Message received."
"Have a safe flight home then...", the voice on the radio says.
"Hmm... thanks.", the prince replies, then the cockpit falls into silence. Prince Francisco pulls of his headset and places them in the flat surface above the throttle controls on the center console.
"Francisco- will you be alright?", Alfredo asks.
The Prince turns about on the seat before getting up, "I'll be alright. I just need some time alone."
"No problem, I'll take care of our flight home.", Alfredo says. The prince gets up and gets out of cockpit, walking down the long aisle of the plane to the private quarters towards the rear.
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