Blurb Makes the Call

“Yes.  The RavensChest is contacting Bear Factory”…..  “Kanga and Roo” ….  “Pooh Sticks. Thank you”

“Hello? Yes, this is… okay, you know who it is – and so you’ll know why I’m calling.  We agreed that I could leave and that you would leave me and … yes, that is true, but… hand on, we promised…. YOU promised… oh, come on, that’s not… look, do we need to meet and agree this all again?  Do I need to prove what is sensible – again?  Can you really afford that right now?  Thank you.  You’ll be in touch – I thought so.”

Blurb hung up the phone quietly.  He sighed a long sigh of relief… and then there was a polite cough – which came from behind.

“So - not so much the pacifist then?” asked Granger, and he quietly closed the door behind him.  It closed with a click. “So, what do you think you ought to tell me; remember that I can tell when something isn’t quite right – as you probably already knew”

“OK, as you’ve revealed your membership to the Book Club, I ought to reveal my membership – not to the Book Club, but to the European Organisation – the Rag Dolls.  I am aware that between the two organisations they have worked quite well together, but of course, we also know that they have kept secrets from each other.  What we have now revealed to each other – our memberships of these organisations – makes us both quite powerful but it also puts the whole Ravens Chest Order in considerable peril – as Edward found out.  You managed to leave the Book Club by “disappearing” until recently – however I managed to walk away from the Rag Dolls by mutual consent.  Until now, of course”

“How did you leave?  What happened to cause them to just ‘let you go’ – or have they just made you a sleeping agent?”

“I guess I was originally in the wrong place at the wrong time.  My father – here, this is a photo of him – was close friends with Tough Ted. They both served on the merchant ships, before transferring onto other jobs.  Both showed exemplary skills and knowledge – so it wasn’t long before they were recruited by the Rag Dolls.  They had been tasked with a mission in Germany – would have been quite a major event, but I so wanted to be like my father that I tagged along.  I had been secretly reading all his training materials, practising stalking, hiding, tracking for many months and had become quite good at it.

“We had boarded the train from Munich to Bavaria – I could see my father talking to another Rag Doll agent.  They had both exchanged secret passwords and thought that the carriage was clear.  Unfortunately, the train shuddered to a stop and a small feather just floated onto my nose.  As hard as I tried I couldn’t hold back the sneeze – and suddenly it was as if something catastrophic had happened.  All the Rag Dolls suddenly started screaming ‘It’s a Trap!’ and the Rag Doll my father was talking with seized him.  He put a bag over his head and two other Rag Doll agents dragged him up the carriage and into the next one.  Meanwhile, Tough Ted had dropped to the ground, saw me and then stood up between me and the other agents and started wiping his nose.  He apologised for the sneeze – but asked if we could continue talks.  The remaining Rag Doll agents laughed – the pulled the emergency stop cord and ran to join their colleagues.  Tough Ted stood his ground.

“Once the agents had gone, Tough Ted told me I could come up.  I stood up – and Tough Ted made me promise that I would never follow my father again- and I would not try to find my father either as it would almost certainly be not to the benefit of my father.  After I made that promise, with tears in my eyes, Tough Ted then made me make the same promise – but for him as well.”

Granger stood and looked at Blurb, the tears flowing freely from his eyes.  Blurb sniffed and wiped them clear.

“Blurb, things change.  You made a promise for two people – both of which had deep meaning in your life.  But even you must realise that sometime we have to make decisions that we don’t want to in order to protect and save the new members of our family.  Whilst you have lived up to your side of the bargain – that of not trying to find your father or Tough Ted – it would seem that they have tried to contact you.

“So now, we have to make a new plan.  By the way though – how did you leave the Rag Dolls by mutual consent?”

“Ah.  They did recruit me many years later and being young and foolish I joined.  They found I was really quite quick with computers… but I also generated a lot of static.  One lightning bolt mistimed…. and I wiped their main computer.  It took them three months to recover all the data… so they let me go.”

“Hmm” said Granger “I wonder if we need to go play with some computers.  How’s your skills at Pacman?”

Granger speaks to Edward

Granger sat by Edward’s bed. The door to Edward’s room was ajar, and Edward sat slightly propped up, with bandages and plasters where needed. Edward looked at Granger.

“What do you mean, you may have a job for me?”

“You have a connection with Tough Ted – and that’s enough information for you right now. You need to regain your strength. HP has already indicated that he is interested – he seems to think that an adventure will allow him full status with this Order; in truth it will cement him as a proper member to the group, but not in the way that he thinks.”

“How so? The Order is just a group of poets and artists – it isn’t a secret underworld ‘business group’ like the Book Club”

 “You know that, do you? Who told you that was the case? Blurb? Have you seen him recently? He knows that this group is more than just a story group – there’s a much darker side to all this than he will ever let on….”

“NO.” Blurb’s voice carried across the room. The door opened and Blurb walked into the light. He looked directly at Granger.

“No Granger, you’re wrong. I founded this order to tell tales and stories. I was found by Frog – and then you all came along. Granger, you admit that the voices in your head will tell you things – and I know that the life that you have led has been different to the life that I or any of the others would have had. But that doesn’t change why the Order is, or ever has been. It is not a recruiting tool for any group – that is your life to choose.”

 “But it wasn’t just my life, was it? Tough Ted….”

Blurb cut Granger off “..Tough Ted was not a part of this Order. This Order bestowed an honour on Tough Ted as he was Frog’s Travelling Companion. Like you he had a past, one that I suspect brought many adventures… and one that seems to have come round full circle again.

“Edward has come to us with information about Tough Ted; and your previous associations seem to have had an input to that. I am not happy about letting Edward and HP go off on a dangerous adventure – look at Edward… LOOK AT HIM! I am not prepared to let them go off and possibly not come back. I would rather you went instead”

“Do you really mean that?”

“Yes. This is a peaceful group. The group that you talk about, the Book Club, sound like a dangerous Group that we should not associate ourselves with. If you insist on progressing this idea, then you must present all the facts to a complete Order meeting – and we will decide as a Group whether we take up this work – not just send members in one at a time, with no sense of protection or friendship from this band of friends.”

Granger stood staring at Blurb as he walked back out of the room. Hmm, he thought, I don’t think Blurb is telling the group the full story.

The Book Club

“Where’s Edward?” asked Mab.

“He said he was popping out to get some milk – and that was over two hours ago”

“You know Edward” replied HP “He does get sidetracked when other things come into his head… wait, that’s the door”

The lock turned slowly, and then the door started to open slowly at first before crashing wide open and Edward collapsed into the hallway

“EDWARD!!!” they all cried and rushed to him.

Edward lay there, bruised and scuffed. He looked about the faces that were now peering at him, concerned.

“Edward… what happened to you?” asked Mab.

Edward turned and looked straight towards Granger. “I… I have a message for you. The Book Club want you to return something that is overdue. “

Blurb laughed out loud. “Granger – a book club? Really, you do surprise me. And hanging onto one as well – what was it a colouring boooo….” Blurb’s voice trailed off as Granger went more pale than usual and slumped against the hall wall.

“They found me. They said they would… and.. and they found me.” Granger turned slowly to look steadily and carefully at his friends “I am so sorry. I thought that being in the uK, far from America I would be safe. But obviously we are too obvious on the internet… and now they have found me. Edward, did they say any more? Did they tell you anything else?”

Mab looked at Granger, then back to the fallen Edward.

“Look Granger, we can ask questions later. We can all ask questions later – I think that we all need our questions answered. But first we need to patch up our friend here. Come on, let’s get him somewhere more comfortable.”

Collectively they lifted Edward up and carried him through to the bedroom, where he was laid on the bed. Andy went off to the kitchen and made Tea for everyone. After some plasters were applied, and Edward had drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep, the rest of the group headed downstairs.

“So,” said Mab “I think you need to explain.”

 Granger stood up. “Yes, my friends, I need to explain. Back in the 1930′s as well as gin-running the bookmakers were also very underground. Myself and my colleagues would act as messengers for the bookies carrying the secret information about the rigged events – whilst much was made up abou the horse racing they all had to tell the same story or there would be a drive by. It was hard work – everyone wanted to get the information as simply as soon as that information was known there would be a run on bets and much money could be made.

“When the wars came, all that worked died down and the group – we called ourselves The Book Club on account of our connection to the Bookmakers – disbanded. Mind you, we had become quite a major force to be reckoned with – even the gangsters would not mention us for fear that we would cause damage to them and their families. The Book Club was not a cosy, happy group.

“So all was quiet for many, many years. But as you know we live for many, many years also and once the corporate wars started up again in the 1980′s we were back as if we’d never left – only this time we were Corporate Pirates, looting information about sales and passing it to Rivals.”

“How?” asked a curious Blurb “By the 80′s communications were much quicker and – without being rude – you’re not exactly IT-literate”.

“We would hide in the piles of plush toys. When a child would come to pick us up, we would do something that would either distract them, or direct them to another soft toy. In that way we could work in peace.

“But I started to get cold feet. I’d been doing this for years, and so I approached another group who managed to get me away from the Book Club – and when I managed to get Frog to pick me I thought my troubles were over. But obviously” and he looked upstairs “I was wrong”.

They all sat in silence, wondering what would happen next. Granger stood up and left the room.

———

Granger knocked on Edward’s door. Edward opened a lazy eye.

“How you doing then?” Granger asked.

“Well, I’ve had better shopping trips” smiled Edward. “You know the strange thing was the way in which they approached me. I’ve been thinking about it a little. They didn’t ask if I knew you… they asked if I’d heard from Tough Ted. When I replied that I hadn’t, they smiled – and then started on me. The comment to you was almost a throw away statement. Why would they do that?”   Edward coughed – and winced. “They also gave me a phone number – and told me that I needed to pass it to you without the others knowing. Here it is. Now, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll rest again.”

With that Edward turned slowly, visibly tensing as he did so. Granger could see that Edward was putting on a brave face for the beating he had just taken – but knew that he had to make that call. Without hesitation, Granger picked up the phone by Edwards bed and pressed the numbers.

A quiet voice spoke at the other end. Granger said, “Stitches to join… fabric to seal… 3 Bear oaths. Thank you.” And then he hung up.

HP stood in the doorway. “What was all that about?”

Granger turned “You heard all that?”

“mm-hmm.”

“Then you know all you need to. Actually, you don’t know all you need to. When Edward’s better I will have a job that you and Edward will be perfect for… oh, don’t worry I’m not sending you into doing my job – but I am going to need your help.”

Edward starts to think

“But it’s so not fair!  I’ve started to think about a story..”

“No.  The rules are such. You want to be in the order, you have to provide a story”

“But – I’m still researching it.  It’s okay for you – with your ‘classic’ tales or general stories; I’m not like that – I like facts, truths, things that are real.  I want to make sure that the story ‘I‘ tell is accurate, believable.. up to scrutiny… from you, at least…”

“So that’s good; that’s what the Order demands. You want to be part of that, that’s what we expect.  Not so much truth – that’s always subject to conjecture – but believable; that’s what we like.  So, Edward, what you got so far…?”

“Well E.A – and Granger, I see you standing there – I’ve decided that I can break the story down to key chapter headings.  At least that will give me a focus to tell the tale to you.  I know that Blurb is also listening in – I think Granger has shown him a thing or two to focus his mind, thoughts, etc on how the order will form.

What I will do is list the chapter headings – as I have them, and they are subject to amendment as my research pans out – and create a page, upon which I will flesh the story out.  I may even publish it – unless the Secret Society  track me – but I also will have recorded these notes elsewhere, probably in Elfin language – just to confuse the Secret society”

“So what are your headings?”

“well, they are:

1.  The taste for adventure

2. Edward receives a contact

3. Blurb is the Double Agent

4. Edward has a journey

5. The Formation of the Order

6. The Button Aristocracy

7. Tough Ted – the operation

8. Tough Ted - the exit

9. Cleardown”

“But how do you know all this??”

“So far – my informants have given me enough information.  However, some of the information I have has been ‘double encoded’ – that is, where I have named someone it is entirely possible that it isn’t the person that the chapter is about.  Why do you as that, Archimedes?”

“Oh, no reason Edward – I look forward to hearing your story… I’ll set the page up ready.”

Edward the Second – Associate Member

“No you can’t do that!  He has to join properly!”  I stamped my foot, releasing 10 thunderbolts.

“Yes, I can; Yes, he can; We’ve all agreed!” Granger stood firm, his eye staring hard at me.

 

“Oh, good grief – it’s no good.  I can’t keep this up.  If he is unable to complete the initiation he simply cannot join the order.  I’m not having off-shoots and associate groupie part time members to the order… it will become far too washed out to be of any use at all.”

 

“But” asked Edward quietly “what can’t I do? What is the timescale for whatever it is I have to do? How do you know what I can and can’t do unless you tell me?”

 

“Exactly!” said E.A. “Even I had to ask Archie – and Edward here is not allowed to leave you two for a moment because of your ‘shared ownership’ deal!  And what sort of thing is that – why can’t Eddie just be Eddie?”

“Edward” said Edward slightly less quietly “My name is Edward, not Eddie, Teddy, Ed, or two-sy” he glared across the room at the cats.

 

Edward continued

“All I know is that I was just relaxing back in Germany when I receive a postcard from my Uncle, Tough Ted.  He told me that he had received a strange letter from a cousin in Poole and that he was planning on going to see him.  He also told me that it was possible that he may have to do so in a quiet way and that it was all hush-hush – he was very into the secret stories and quite unafraid of adventure.  He had confided in me that whilst he had enjoyed the easy life, the call of adventure was getting too great to refuse.

 

“So he suggested that I come to the UK and gave me the address – all I had to do was to follow his lead and then I would be able to join Frog and help him; by the time I got here, you guys were already on the scene”

 

 

Frog sat and pondered.  I just sat.  Frog then said

 

“Edward – I have a plan for you.  You need to tell us how you got from Germany to here as it sounds like the sort of story that would interest me.  Once you have done that, you will be a full member of the Order in your own right.  Until then, you are hereby the first, last and only associate member.

 

“Additionally, I will create a new rank for your uncle, Tough Ted and the duties that he performed as my Travelling Companion.  May you all live up to his example. Oh, and guys” Frog said, turning to Granger and myself, “whilst Edward may be your shared Travelling Companion, he is still part of the Order and has full rights as stuff as well.  OK?”