11. Game Rules
The three groups walked as one, planning to split up when they reached the island's halfway point. It was the girls who broke off first.
"If we split up now and go through here," Maryann motioned to the left. "we can show you the prettiest spot on the island. There are vines hanging off of every tree and they're all blooming now. It's like walking through a rainbow and it's on the way to our search area."
"Yeah. You should go, see it, 99." Gilligan said. "It's really pretty and a great place for hide and seek."
99 nodded. She didn't see any reason why not. It sounded like fun. And it was on the way. "Okay. Let's go. Meet up with you later, Max."
Max waved, then turned to Gilligan. "You still play Hide and Seek?" He asked incredulously as if he had just discovered the first mate still used a binky.
Gilligan shrugged, a bit self-conciously. "Sometimes."
"Only when work needs done." Said the Skipper with a disapproving grunt. "He hides and I have to go out and look for 'im."
"You need to advance to better things, kid." The spy said giving Gillgian a friendly punch in the shoulder. "I should teach you 'Conceal and Pursuit'. Now that's a game that challenges your and wits!"
"Wow. Sounds hard. How do you play?"
"Well, it's a game they use in the Spy Training School to test your spy skills. To start out one person is chosen out of the group. Now he will be your 'Pursuer'. The rest of the group will be the Concealees. The Pursuer is blindfolded by the Concealees. The Pursuer then counts down from ten. While the Pursuer counts the Concealees try to find a place of concealment before the end of the countdown. Once he is finished counting the Pursuer must then seek out the Concealees. The discovery of the last Concealee marks the end of the game."
"Wow." Was all Gilligan could think of to say.
The Skipper and Professor swapped a critical look. "Speaking of pursuits," The Professor said with a polite cough. "Shouldn't we be getting on with our search?"
The Skipper nodded with a look that said 'it's about time'. "This is as good a place as any for us to split up too. The girls took the East side of the island so we're left with the South and West. Take your pick Mr. Smart."
Max was about to go through 'einy meenie miny moe' when Gilligan interrupted his thoughts.
"There's a really deep cave just over there." He motioned to their right. "It's got lots of different passages. I think we should check that one out together before we split up. We could search it a lot faster with all six of us."
"Good thinking, kid." Max said, giving Gilligan a pat on the back. "Lead the way."
Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so short and sorry I'm taking so long between updates. I have 3 excuses. 1. I'm just moving into my own place for the first time. It's a li'l 30 ft. trailer that needs quit a bit of work. 2. It was given to Mom who gave it to me in trade for the household computer (which was technically mine but we both paid for it) so I can only work on the computer moms or at the library. 3. I should be working on a portrait (which I will be paid for) instead of writing stupidity (which I don't)...'stupid' is a good thing.
But I am going to try to finnish this story eventually and I'll work on it whenever I get the chance so please don't give up on me completely.
