CHAPTER 10

It was a couple of days after the Sailor Scouts experienced their last encounter with Alan and Anne. The aliens were keeping quiet while the tree was still under subjugation but though Alan and Anne didn't know it, they were under trial observation. If Peter and Jenny caught evidence on film that they were indeed unstable when it was time to collect more energy, they would be in big trouble.
But for now things were quiet and easy and Anne had taken up reading earth storybooks. One of her favourites was the classic fairy tale "Snow White."
"I love this story," she thought to herself. "It's so romantic. I wish I could somehow give Darien a kiss to express my love in the same way that Snow White's Prince does towards her while she's in enchanted sleep."
She daydreamed with a big smile on her face as she put the book down, stretched out on her couch and closed her eyes.

But later that day Alan appeared holding an advertisement flier. He showed it to Peter, Jenny and Anne in the main living room. "Look at what I found inside our mail box in the foyer downstairs! That young man named Darien is in the process of arranging a pantomime production with the Amateur Actors Guild beginning of next week. It could be the perfect opportunity to get fresh new energy for the tree."
Anne pricked up her ears as Peter took the flier and read aloud. "Hmmm! So the play is to be based upon the story of "Snow White" and this Darien is going to play the Prince. He's looking for volunteers to play the heroine and the rest of the cast."
"Oh! Oh!" she cried excitedly. "I have an idea. Let me go right down to the auditions this afternoon and land myself a role. Then I can spy on the place and make plans to gather energy."
Alan was a little suspicious of her motives but he felt he had no choice but to agree with Peter and Jenny present. But little did he or Anne know that Peter and Jenny were also deeply suspicious in their own right.
They told Anne to go and do her best and excitedly she went to the bathroom to get dressed. But she also anticipated possible competition for the part that she wanted. So she prepared some strings with coloured ends in a special way and placed them in her pocket before saying goodbye and heading off on her way.
Peter and Jenny were going to monitor this plan very carefully when it was in motion though. They had strong doubts that Anne would take her mission seriously. She may honestly mean to get some energy all the same, but if she had any other schemes on the side involving Darien they'd be sure to be lurking covertly at the theater with the video camera they had recently "purchased" at the store free of charge with their extra-terrestrial mind control.

At the theater Anne found that her hunch had been correct. Inside the auditorium she discovered that poor Darien was beset with five squabbling girls. Serena, Lita, Mina, Raye and Amy all wanted to be in the play and they all insisted that they would be the best possible choice for the role of Snow White. Lita said she had the most talent, Raye said she had the best-looking hair, Mina said she was the most graceful,Serena was adamant that she was simply the fairest of them all and all Amy thought was that she should play Snow White because she was so busy with study and it would be the easiest role for her since she wouldn't have too many lines to learn since the character would be in enchanted sleep for half the play.
Darien tried to reason with them. "Come on girls. You can't all play Snow White you know. There are plenty of other parts available such as the evil Queen or the Huntsman."
"Who cares about those roles?" Serena obstinately shouted. "I just want to play Snow White."
"No I should get to play her." The other girls all insisted and Darien groaned as the argument was beginning all over again.

But Anne made her move. She thought to herself, "That Raye is really Sailor Mars. At least one Sailor Scout will be present. But even so she won't be able to stop me kissing Darien before I make a move to gather energy from the audience at the end of the play."
With that in mind she boldly made her presence known. "Enough of this bickering. Look I have a perfect idea for deciding who will get to play the part of Snow White."
Serena and her friends stopped and stared at her. "Hello Anne. We didn't even notice you were here," said Serena.
"So what's your idea?" Amy asked.
When Anne had first peeked in through the doorway and observed them fighting she had made note of their number and ducking back outside unseen she furtively reached into her pocket and selected the appropriate strings and held them in her hand.
At this present moment she held them up explaining, "We can draw straws, but I don't actually have any on me, but these strings with coloured ends will serve the purpose. After you've all picked one there'll be one left for me if that's okay."
Mina said, "Sure okay. If you'd like a chance you're entitled to it." The others all nodded assent.
"Good," said Anne. "One of these strings has a white tip and the rest of them are blue. Whoever draws the white string gets to play Snow White. Everybody else will have to agree upon some other role." The girls all gasped as she held them out.
Serena stepped forward. "I'll go first. I'm sure I'll pick the white one." She took hold of one and gently drew it out. But it was blue.
"Oh no. I can't play Snow White," she wailed.
"Bad luck Serena," said Anne. "Next please."
One by one the others took their turn.
"Aw fiddlesticks." Amy held up her blue string. "I'll have to give up most of my vital study time to learn my lines for some other part now."
"Rats," growled Raye.
"I'm sure I'll get it now the odds are better," said Lita. But she was disappointed too.
That left Mina. "It's a fifty-fifty chance. Surely I'll pick the white string. Aah blue," she moaned.
All eyes were on Anne as realization sank in. Anne grinned and said, "Well if you're all blues," she pulled the last string from her hand and raised it up high triumphantly and they all gasped in dismay. "I have the white string and I'm going to get to play Snow White. Lucky me."
But while all eyes, including Darien's, were locked upon the white string held high Anne carefully placed her other hand casually inside her pocket and drew it slowly out. Not one person noticed this as she kept waving the white string and laughing and ya-hooing to divert their attention.
When she seemingly calmed down Darien smiled and said, "Very well Anne. You're Snow White. Now let's sort out what parts the rest of you will be playing."
Serena groaned and pouted. "It's just not fair."
Anne was very gleeful to think that her plan to set herself up for a kiss with Darien was on the way to success. The stupid humans had been completely hoodwinked.

So later when Anne returned home all the aliens gathered in the main apartment away from the tree to hear her report. "I'm in the cast of the play. I landed the role of Snow White."
"Snow White eh?" mused Alan suspiciously. He knew what the basic story was and who would be playing the role of the Prince of course. But he said nothing and Peter addressed Anne.
"So you will be ready at the conclusion of the play to slip aside and help Alan summon a Cardian to gather all the energy the audience will have built up while the rest of the cast is preparing for curtain call. Is that the plan as Jenny and I understand it?"
Anne confidently answered, "Yes that's right Peter. The audience will be enjoying themselves and they'll be ready to give a rousing cheer and applause at the final curtain. Then Alan and I will strike while the iron's hot."
"It does sound so perfect," Jenny remarked. But she and Peter were determined to spy on the show and capture anything suspicious that Anne, or even Alan may do.
Alan composed himself and said, "Okay Anne. We'll be set for it then," and all the other aliens were delighted and congratulated Anne wishing her good luck. Though there was albeit a certain amount of uncertainty and worry among them. This was the final test that would either cement respect for their leaders in their sight or disgrace them forever.
Anne was reveling in her excited anticipation. In the meantime though she needed to attend regular rehearsals each night for two and a half hours.

So in the light of circumstances Serena had reluctantly agreed to take on the part of Snow White's wicked stepmother, Lita was playing the Huntsman, Raye was playing the Spirit of the Magic Mirror and Mina and Amy ended up having minor roles as servants in the castle of the evil Queen. In the end it made Amy happy at least because it was a very small supporting role and she had even less lines to try to learn then she would have had even playing Snow White. And of course Darien had cast some of the community's little children to play the Seven Dwarves.
They all met at the theater each night along with Anne. Anne drove them all nearly crazy however with the way she insisted upon spending heaps of time going over the scene where Snow White is awakened by the Prince with a kiss. "This is the most important scene in the entire play. It's the big highlight. The smashing finish. So we must get it just right so that it is believable for the audience." Anne spoke like this while she was lying down on a long bench with everybody else watching. They couldn't believe how much Anne was going on about this scene.
After running through it a few times at the beginning of every night, Darien insisted that they also rehearse the rest of the play. But because Anne made such a big fuss he agreed to rehearse the kissing scene even more at the end of each rehearsal session.
Serena really hated this scene. "Thank goodness," she thought, "that at least she and Darien are not actually kissing each other."
That was true. Darien and Anne were only supposed to be acting so he was bending close to her face without really touching her lips. The audience would be unable to notice this fact generally from the distance they would be stationed at from the prop Anne would be lying upon in the center of the stage. However she was biding her time during rehearsals secretly intending to surprise Darien by planting a genuine kiss upon his lips. "Just you wait Darien," she thought with almost maniacal glee. "Our lips will meet and I'll be able to fully express my love for you on opening night."

The second night of this after Anne had left and Darien had taken the seven children with him in his car to drive them to their homes, Serena and the others were hanging around having a heated discussion. Raye said, "I don't believe how much Anne goes on about her role. Especially the final scene with Darien."
Lita grumbled, "Yeah. She's let it all inflate her ego and swell up her head. I don't know how Darien puts up with her."
Mina said, "Personally I suspect that she even cheated so she could obtain the cherished title role."
"What's that?" cried Amy.
Raye and Lita gasped and Serena was suddenly sticking her face in Mina's.
"What's that you say Mina? You think she cheated? How?"
"Yes what do you mean?" inquired Lita.
"Well it's like this," explained Mina. "After we all drew our strings I kept mine and took it home with me. While I was lying on my bed I had it in my hands looking at it. When two cars suddenly had an accident colliding on the road just outside my window the noise startled me so that somehow I accidentally tore the string. The blue tip tore off surprisingly easy. And it left a white tip that looked very much like the white string that Anne presented before our eyes."
Serena and the others were horrified. Raye said, "So she must have torn off the tip of her own string to make it white."
"And that's how she won the draw!" exclaimed Amy.
Serena was incensed. "But Mina! Why didn't you tell this to us sooner? We should have reported her to Darien."
"But Serena. I couldn't conclusively prove it," Mina argued defensively. "None of the rest of you kept yours for starters did you? And Anne would have denied it. Without her blue string end for strong evidence against her, even yours combined with mine wouldn't have been enough to convict her of cheating."
Serena interrupted Mina wailing. "Oh why did you let her get away with it so easily? You didn't even try, did you?" As she began to give out a low-pitched whine Raye silenced her by shoving her palm up in front of her.
"Serena stop that!" Her voice was so commanding that Serena did obediently quieten at once. "No crying! I'm not in the mood!"
Amy said, "Please let Mina finish her explanations Serena."
"Thank you Raye and Amy," said Mina. "Just think about it Serena. It would have been our word against Anne's. Who's to say the last string in her hand hadn't already been ripped to produce the single white one for the draw?"
"So there's nothing we can do?" cried Serena.
"Doesn't look like it," said Lita.
"But even though Anne does have her faults I can't help but feel a little sorry for her," said Amy. "She hasn't really made any friends since she moved here and when you see her she's always by herself."
Raye smiled. "You can't help but admire her determination and resolve in a weird way also. She wanted that part so badly."
Serena exploded with rage. "You shouldn't be so nice to her! She's a mean and selfish person! And she cheated! I'm going to talk to her even if you won't!"
"Serena. There's no proof," began Lita, but Serena was heading out the door.
"I'm on my way home. And I'll tell that Anne what I think of her the first chance I get."
When she was gone Raye folded her arms and sighed. "That Meatball-Head is going to make a fool of herself. Just like she often does."
Mina groaned, "I guess you're right unfortunately Raye," and Lita and Amy nodded in grim agreement.

But the following morning Lita and Amy knocked on the door at Serena's house and told her mother they thought they'd walk with her to school that day.
Her mother was very pleased. "How very nice of you both. At least she will get there on time for a change. Excuse me while I wake her up."
Serena was momentarily disoriented when she was woken but remembering she had to go to school she sat bolt upright crying, "Oh no! I forgot to set the alarm again!"
"Yes well, your friends Lita and Amy are here Serena," said her mother gently, "so you're not late yet this morning. Get dressed and eat breakfast. They want to walk with you."
Serena was pleasantly surprised so she prepared herself and sat with her friends while she ate some toast. But when they said goodbye to Serena's mother and also her father, who was getting ready to go to work, they began to seriously talk to her about what was on their minds.
"Serena, Raye contacted us and also Mina when we were all settled at our homes last night about something we need to speak to you about," said Lita.
"Huh? What could be so important that Raye couldn't have personally called me on my communicator as well?"
Amy explained, "It's like this Serena. When Raye arrived home she found Anne kneeling on the outside porch of the Cherry Hill Temple with Chad and her grandfather. They explained to her that Anne had gone there to quietly pray that the play would run smoothly and successfully on Sunday night. They obliged by praying with her and Grandfather even prayed some special blessings upon her."
Lita took over saying, "Raye was amazed that Anne would take the play so seriously that she would seek spiritual guidance for it. She and the rest of us think that despite her faults there surely must be some good in her and we should just allow her to keep her role."
Before Serena could raise objection Amy added, "And who knows? Maybe when this play is successfully over it may be the making of a whole new likable personality in her."
"So therefore we all want you to say nothing to upset her even though she might have cheated. Understand?"
Serena started to retort but at the stern looks of her friends she shut her mouth and said, "Oh very well. I still don't like her but I'll comply with your wishes."
"Thank you Serena," Amy said as she and Lita both smiled.

And so Serena had to grin and bear it all through rehearsals. But to add to her vexation her little brother Sammy taunted her the night before the big show while she was practicing her lines for the wicked Queen at home. He suddenly barged through her bedroom door startling her out of her wits. "Hey, I can hear your voice echoing down the hallway to my own bedroom door Serena. I can't wait to hear what you sound like tomorrow night."
A little suspicious Serena said, "Oh thank you Sammy."
But he held up a small paper bag and handed it to her. "Take a look at what's in here please."
Serena was puzzled as she took out some peanuts in an unopened plastic covering, a cob of corn, a piece of ham, a big screw and a baseball.
"What are these things Sammy?"
With a big laugh he told her, "They represent the words I use to describe your acting talent Serena. Nuts, Corny, Hammy and Screw-Ball!"
Then he ran off laughing while Serena snarled in rage. "Why that little beast!"

And so opening night arrived. There was a huge crowd of people including Serena's friends Melvin and Molly. Molly's good friend who played tennis, Katie Sandler sat next to them both and their respective parents were also present. Other significant faces included Miss Haruna, Mr. Baxter, Herbert and Helen Humphreys, Peter Fisher the photographer, Peggy Jones the artist, Grandfather, Chad, Serena's family and finally Sammy's good friend Mika sat next to him with her own mother. Alan was also in the audience. He was meant to slip away before the final curtain call and meet with Anne so she could choose a Cardian. But Peter and Jenny were also present though Alan and Anne didn't know. They were hidden above the stage in a darkened area of the roof. There they could stand on a vacant platform quietly without drawing attention to themselves and between them they were managing a very powerful zoom lens video camera so that they could secretly film anything that Alan and Anne did when they made their move. Whether their actions were proper or improper they were determined to capture everything for examination with the others.

As the story progressed Anne played Snow White to perfection and everybody cheered. The entire cast played their parts very well and even Sammy had to admit that his teasing of Serena did not add up to the quality of her acting. Although in truth she did mess up an occasional line and once also stumbled on stage, but to her credit at least she did not panic and lose it completely and Darien and the others all worked their way around her mistakes through improvisation. So secretly Sammy thought to himself that he did not owe her a full apology for his taunts at least.

The children who were cast as the Seven Dwarves were marvelous and their parents were all very proud of them. However as the play was nearing the end and Anne had bitten Serena's poison apple and fallen to the floor, Alan couldn't stand it anymore. He knew perfectly well in his heart what Anne was planning to do and he didn't want to watch it. He rose from his seat and apologizing to the people around him said, "I'm sorry. I need to go to the restroom. Pardon me."
So saying he excused himself and exited as if he were really going to visit the men's room. But instead he carefully slipped outside and ducked behind some bushes. Undercover he shed off his human disguise and took a card by himself. He wasn't waiting for Anne and he hadn't brought the deck for her to pick one. He had already chosen a Cardian himself and brought it along. He didn't just want to not watch what Anne was going to do. He wanted to stop it. Throwing the card up in the air as he began to play his flute, the Cardian appeared before him. She looked like a creepy clown in baggy coloured clothing, white face, red nose and lips and a spiked helmet on her head.
Alan spoke to her. "Cardian Pierrot. I command you to go inside that theater and put a stop to the performance. Disrupt the show and destroy the scenery. Go right now. There's no time to waste."
"I obey my Master." Pierrot jumped upon a unicycle and rode off faster than anyone would think a unicyclist could naturally go. Especially one with an open umbrella twirling around in her hand.

Back on stage Anne was placed upon her open bier awaiting Darien to come so she could sneakily kiss him at last, but before Darien could take a step towards her the Cardian scooted through the center row in between the audience seats shouting, "The show's over!"
Everybody gasped, including Anne who was so shocked she sat bolt upright where she lay. "What's going on?" She was horrified as Pierrot made an unbelievable leap into the air at the foot of the stage and began to knock down all the props on her unicycle. The children screamed and ran offstage in their dwarf costumes and Anne started to scream and cry. "No! No! No! Everything's ruined! I was so close to kissing my dream prince!"
Even Darien ran offstage in a fright but Serena and the other girls only ran to duck into their privately shared dressing room as fast as they could so they could all transform. When they were all in their Sailor identities Sailor Moon shouted, "Come on! There's no time to waste!"
"Yes! Who knows what that monster is doing to the audience," cried Sailor Mercury as the five of them all raced out onto the stage where Anne was lying face down sobbing her heart out and Cardian Pierrot was just standing still on her unicycle in the midst of all the scenery and props she had destroyed. The audience were all mesmerized, wondering what was going on. They hadn't been attacked at all.

When the Sailor Scouts appeared Sammy said to Mika, "Wow! This has been a most surprising twist to the show so far. A very different ending to the story of Snow White and I would never have expected the Sailor Scouts to be participating in it."
Mika said nothing. She was struck speechless like the rest of the majority of the audience were.

But the Sailor Scouts were soon to feel even more astonished. Sailor Moon shouted at the Cardian, "Hey you creep! How dare you ruin the ending of the show tonight? In the Name of the Moon and our respective planets, my friends and I will punish you and we will not let you attack anybody."
"Yeah! So prepare to fight us!" said Sailor Jupiter.
"We will whip you good!" vowed Sailor Mars.
But Pierrot did nothing except turn and stare at the five of them while Anne carried on mourning the failure of her plans and hopes.
Sailor Moon said defiantly, "We're waiting for you to make your move."
But she and her friends all gasped in surprise and confusion as Pierrot said, "I'm not attacking anybody. My master only ordered me to destroy the ending of the play. I have no orders to attack you or anybody at all."
The five Scouts all chorused together in mutual disbelief. "WHAT!?"
Next thing Alan materialized floating in mid-air above the stage and everybody made further awestruck gasping noises. "Cardian Pierrot! What is going on?" He demanded angrily. "Why don't you attack them? And why haven't you taken any energy from all of these people?"
The Cardian looked up at him and truthfully replied, "Because you never gave me any such commands. I fulfilled what you said you wanted. I prevented the play from finishing."
Alan blushed beetroot-red as the realization hit him and also nervously flinched as Anne looked up and shot a glare filled with intense rage through her tear-stained face. "Oh ah. Well," composing himself he began to raise his voice, "right then. But now I'm commanding you, Yeeoow!"
Before he could finish his new order several thin threads suddenly flew down from above surrounding him and lashing at his body like the stings of a jellyfish. The Sailor Scouts looked up and gasped pointing. It was Skulker. While she distracted Alan the Moonlight Knight, who was floating in the air alongside her jumped to the ground in front of Pierrot. She just stared at him doing and saying nothing as she still had no command to attack. Though she would attack anyway to defend herself if anyone attacked her first. She may have been under the alien's control but she still retained some sense of self-preservation.
The Moonlight Knight spoke, "Sailor Scouts there's no need for any violence against Pierrot. Skulker and I think that between the best efforts of us combined with a little back up from the source that guides us to come to your aid we can liberate her. Skulker are you ready?"
"Yes Moonlight Knight."
Leaving Alan struggling to shake off the threads attached to him she descended next to Moonlight Knight in front of Pierrot.
She was defensive. "Who are you two?"
"You don't remember us or any of our shared past do you Pierrot?" The Moonlight Knight spoke kindly. "But if all goes well you will soon. Please trust us."
So saying he and Skulker reached out and placed their hands on Pierrot's shoulders and arms. Concentrating hard they combined their mental telepathic communications with the tree back at the alien's apartment. It was only just beginning to reach the stage where it was able to slightly resist the control exerted over it and it had told Moonlight Knight and Skulker it was hopeful that between them both they could just somehow manage to break through Pierrot's brainwashing. Then their position would be all the more stronger in the future with three of them united. Pierrot suddenly cried out and her body tensed as she felt the conflict waging war inside her. Would the good forces succeed?

As the Sailor Scouts and everybody else watched Pierrot slumped forward as her body relaxed. Then as she slowly raised her head and saw who were standing before her eyes she threw her arms around them both and cried out, "Moonlight Knight and Skulker! I'm so happy to be here with you though I don't know how we came to be here. What is going on?"
Skulker was so happy as she hugged Pierrot back tightly. "Moonlight Knight and I will fill you in Pierrot. For now we must leave."
Realizing what had just happened Alan quickly dematerialized for his own safety and Anne picked herself up and crawled off the stage. She'd had enough.
The Moonlight Knight spoke loudly to the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen. I'm sorry that this evening's entertainment was ruined. But my friends and I have helped the Sailor Scouts to chase away the evil before anybody was hurt thankfully at least. Give them a rousing cheer. They deserve it."
As the audience applauded, the Moonlight Knight and the others turned to bid the Scouts farewell. Though Pierrot still knew nothing she smiled at them as they vanished into thin air. Now that Pierrot was free she hadn't seemed so creepy after all. The Sailor Scouts were beginning to see these Cardians in a different light.
They thanked everybody for their appreciation but said they needed to go now. Excusing themselves with a big bow in the spotlight they slipped away and making sure they were not seen by even one of the children who played the Dwarves, re-entered their dressing room and resumed their secret identities.
In their hidden alcove up above Peter and Jenny carefully handled the video camera. "Let's go Peter. This should be enough to fully discredit Alan and Anne in the others' eyes."
"Yes Jenny. We will plan our strategy against them and act appropriately. There must be no compromises."
Then they dematerialized too taking the camera with them.

Later back at their apartment Alan and Anne regretfully reported the "failure" of their mission to Peter, Jenny and the others in the room where the tree was kept. Peter played his part cool and well. "That is unfortunate to hear. And a real shame to hear that another Cardian has defected. But we still have time to come up with a better plan and we can tell you that there is at least one good thing that happened tonight. We have succeeded in forcing the tree to divulge the secret as to how the rogue Cardians can be completely destroyed."
This was the truth. When Peter and Jenny had beat Alan and Anne home they had been informed by the others that they had finally broken through the trees' resistance. This was while it had been struggling hard to help the Moonlight Knight and Skulker free Pierrot from her brainwashed state. It just simply could no longer fully hold back while concentrating on something else. It was very worried and was sending a message to the Moonlight Knight and the other two to be careful.
Alan and Anne were very keen to hear this and Peter explained it to them in front of the whole gang. "This is very exciting," remarked Alan.
"Yes. We will need to make a good plan to trap those renegades. But for now I'd like to speak to Alan privately in our sleeping quarters if you don't mind," said Anne.
Alan wanted to speak to her too, even though he wasn't looking forward to it. He had words for her that he didn't want the others to know the same as she had for him. So Peter and Jenny excused them and they left the main bedroom where the tree was kept and walked to the spare bedroom which they had the privilege of calling their own as the leaders of the invasion force.
They both controlled their feelings until they had shut the door behind them and then began their argument in moderate voices so that the sound wouldn't travel.
"It's not fair Alan! It's just not fair! Why'd you have to deviate from the plan and send a Cardian of your own choosing to spoil my big moment that I worked so hard for?"
"You think I'm stupid Anne? You think I didn't know what you were really planning?"
"I just wanted to be Snow White! The big scene with the Prince was the climax of the performance!"
"What do you mean you "just" wanted to be Snow White? Wasn't gathering energy what the whole overall purpose was supposed to be?"
"Energy? Who cares about energy? I wanted to kiss my Prince and fall in love!"
"Exactly! You wanted Darien to be your Prince Anne! Why should I tolerate your affections for a mere human in place of me?"
"Who are you to talk Alan? What about that Serena? I bet you secretly wished you could play the Prince and she play Snow White! And you failed the mission by not telling that Cardian to gather energy! So don't accuse me of neglecting the mission!"
"Now see here Anne,"
And they continued to bicker back and forth but what they didn't know was that even though they were talking very quietly with a tight rein on their anger, Peter and Jenny had secretly had their room bugged while they were out that night and the microphones could pick up every word they said and clearly broadcast them to all the other aliens in the back bedroom. Peter and Jenny had also been showing them the contents of the video camera on the television and old VCR player they had acquired. Combined with the evidence of the microphones this served to sever all trust any of them had with Alan and Anne.
"They've really gone off the deep end," gasped Sally.
"They'll be sure to bring about our downfall," cried one of the males.
"Shall we kill them or what?" asked a female.
"Don't panic." Peter called for order. "We need to be sensible about this. If we were to eliminate them we'd have everybody at the school wanting to ask me and Jenny where our "son" and "daughter" are. No, we must do this right and I have a plan to overthrow them. Listen to me."
And so they all moved in close to hear what Peter's plan was.