Alanna takes driving lessons: Part two (the horror!)
Alanna rides to the palace the next morning and finds Thayet waiting for her.
"Sir Alanna!" Something was up "I want you to meet the Kallegian Ambassador, Mr. Bill. Mr.Bill this is the King's champion, Sir Alanna."
'What a weird name.' Thought Alanna as she clasped hands with the tall man.
"I hear you would like to learn how to drive a car, Sir Alanna."
'Drats, I was hoping Thayet would forget about that.' Alanna thought as she smiled cheerfully at Mr.Bill and said
"Yes. I believe it will be faster than riding a horse to Corus constantly."
The man smiled also "It will be at that. now then, how about we get started right away? Thayet tells me King Jonathan has released you from your duties for as long as you need with this 'project'."
"Oh did he? How thoughtful of him." She glared at Thayet who smiled back innocently "Well then, I guess there is no reason I can't start now."
"Good," Mr. Bill looked genuinely pleased "come with me please."
Mr. Bill led Alanna to a large paved area where one of the training fields had previously been. A bright red mustang convertible was parked in the corner nearest them.
Alanna stared at the car until Mr. Bill tapped her on the shoulder.
"You'll be training with this nice reliable station wagon over here." he pointed at a broken down old wreck of a station wagon.
"Whose car is that?" Alanna gestured at the mustang.
"Mine." Mr. Bill said no more and headed toward the SW.
Alanna hurried to catch up and saw him trying to pry the door open after unlocking it.
"Here, let me try." Alanna yanked on the handle and the door came flying off, she landed in a heap on the blacktop.
"Weird, that's never happened before." Mr. Bill said as he climbed in the driver's side and crawled over to the passenger seat. "Get in." he said to Alanna with a pleasant smile that made her wonder if he was insane or just very stupid. She decided it would be rude to ask as she stood up, brushed herself off and got into the car.
"So what do I do now Ambassador?" Alanna asked after sitting there for a few minutes with Mr. Bill smiling pleasantly.
"Call me Bob. Now you need to start the car."
Alanna looks around for some reins and then, finding none, decides the car must be controlled by voice so she starts shouting at it to move (etc.).
Bob looks startled and then amused "Alanna dear, you need to turn the key in the ignition to start the car." he said.
"The what??!!" Alanna said, thinking perhaps he had said something inappropriate. It certainly sounded like some sort of obscenity.
"The ignition." he pointed to the ignition where the key was inserted and a 'no fear' keychain was hanging.
"Okay, here it goes." Alanna turned the key.
The car made an extremely loud and unusual sound, the engine turned over. Unfortunately, Alanna had her foot on the gas when the car started and the car zoomed off of the 'parking lot' into Queen Thayet (who just happened to be passing by at the right [or wrong] moment).
Alanna jumped out of the car as it continued to careen out of control with Bob inside and checked the fallen Queen's pulse. She was dead again.
"Dang it! Not again!" Alanna pondered what she was going to do and a shimmering started behind her.
"Really Alanna, you're worse than Daine! Two days in a row!" exclaimed Sara as she looked over Alanna's shoulder at Thayet.
"Well, stand back and I'll fix it again." She did, Alanna thanked her and Sara disappeared. Bob was still in the car as it ran into the ocean and continued to go as if it were a boat.
Thayet got up and glared at Alanna. "You killed me again, didn't you? Now look at my dress! I'll have to have ANOTHER one made now!" Thayet sighed and turned to go.
"Hey, I didn't kill you the first time, okay?!" Thayet ignored her and continued on her way to the palace.
Bob was now somewhere near Carthak, Alanna didn't care.
disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns Alanna & co., I don't own 'No Fear' (whoever does, I don't know. I don't think they make keychains anyway.), I do own Mr. Bill, the broken down station wagon, Mr. Bill's sport's car ( he rents it from me), the plot (such as it is), all of the remarks I make in parentheses (I like parentheses), my computer, my disks, my CD's, a whole list of other things you don't want to hear about, and all of your minds (no really, I do, you just don't know it).
Next chapter: Alanna and the amazing reader-writer-roto-rooter-radiator. Check back soon!
Alanna rides to the palace the next morning and finds Thayet waiting for her.
"Sir Alanna!" Something was up "I want you to meet the Kallegian Ambassador, Mr. Bill. Mr.Bill this is the King's champion, Sir Alanna."
'What a weird name.' Thought Alanna as she clasped hands with the tall man.
"I hear you would like to learn how to drive a car, Sir Alanna."
'Drats, I was hoping Thayet would forget about that.' Alanna thought as she smiled cheerfully at Mr.Bill and said
"Yes. I believe it will be faster than riding a horse to Corus constantly."
The man smiled also "It will be at that. now then, how about we get started right away? Thayet tells me King Jonathan has released you from your duties for as long as you need with this 'project'."
"Oh did he? How thoughtful of him." She glared at Thayet who smiled back innocently "Well then, I guess there is no reason I can't start now."
"Good," Mr. Bill looked genuinely pleased "come with me please."
Mr. Bill led Alanna to a large paved area where one of the training fields had previously been. A bright red mustang convertible was parked in the corner nearest them.
Alanna stared at the car until Mr. Bill tapped her on the shoulder.
"You'll be training with this nice reliable station wagon over here." he pointed at a broken down old wreck of a station wagon.
"Whose car is that?" Alanna gestured at the mustang.
"Mine." Mr. Bill said no more and headed toward the SW.
Alanna hurried to catch up and saw him trying to pry the door open after unlocking it.
"Here, let me try." Alanna yanked on the handle and the door came flying off, she landed in a heap on the blacktop.
"Weird, that's never happened before." Mr. Bill said as he climbed in the driver's side and crawled over to the passenger seat. "Get in." he said to Alanna with a pleasant smile that made her wonder if he was insane or just very stupid. She decided it would be rude to ask as she stood up, brushed herself off and got into the car.
"So what do I do now Ambassador?" Alanna asked after sitting there for a few minutes with Mr. Bill smiling pleasantly.
"Call me Bob. Now you need to start the car."
Alanna looks around for some reins and then, finding none, decides the car must be controlled by voice so she starts shouting at it to move (etc.).
Bob looks startled and then amused "Alanna dear, you need to turn the key in the ignition to start the car." he said.
"The what??!!" Alanna said, thinking perhaps he had said something inappropriate. It certainly sounded like some sort of obscenity.
"The ignition." he pointed to the ignition where the key was inserted and a 'no fear' keychain was hanging.
"Okay, here it goes." Alanna turned the key.
The car made an extremely loud and unusual sound, the engine turned over. Unfortunately, Alanna had her foot on the gas when the car started and the car zoomed off of the 'parking lot' into Queen Thayet (who just happened to be passing by at the right [or wrong] moment).
Alanna jumped out of the car as it continued to careen out of control with Bob inside and checked the fallen Queen's pulse. She was dead again.
"Dang it! Not again!" Alanna pondered what she was going to do and a shimmering started behind her.
"Really Alanna, you're worse than Daine! Two days in a row!" exclaimed Sara as she looked over Alanna's shoulder at Thayet.
"Well, stand back and I'll fix it again." She did, Alanna thanked her and Sara disappeared. Bob was still in the car as it ran into the ocean and continued to go as if it were a boat.
Thayet got up and glared at Alanna. "You killed me again, didn't you? Now look at my dress! I'll have to have ANOTHER one made now!" Thayet sighed and turned to go.
"Hey, I didn't kill you the first time, okay?!" Thayet ignored her and continued on her way to the palace.
Bob was now somewhere near Carthak, Alanna didn't care.
disclaimer: Tamora Pierce owns Alanna & co., I don't own 'No Fear' (whoever does, I don't know. I don't think they make keychains anyway.), I do own Mr. Bill, the broken down station wagon, Mr. Bill's sport's car ( he rents it from me), the plot (such as it is), all of the remarks I make in parentheses (I like parentheses), my computer, my disks, my CD's, a whole list of other things you don't want to hear about, and all of your minds (no really, I do, you just don't know it).
Next chapter: Alanna and the amazing reader-writer-roto-rooter-radiator. Check back soon!
