We marched down the beach, aiming straight for Jack's "castle." The
first thing that we noticed were the guards that he had posted on the
"rampart." They walked stiff-legged, as if they had super-glued a steel
plate to the backs of their legs. Every once in awhile, one of them would
turn on his heel – only the males were allowed to play at being a guard –
and march stiff-legged in the other direction.
"I want my glasses back," Piggy whined.
"Shut up," one of the other kids told him. It was probably Ben or Sam, and they would pay for it later.
Seal and I walked side by side; leading our people with dignity and grace as we rapidly approached the "castle." Soon, as per my expectations, Jack walked out with two bodyguards. I sniggered at their pathetic weapons.
"Ary, you shouldn't do that, at least not now," Seal admonished me.
"Whatever," was my reply.
Jack had reached us. "So, Ary," he said with a sneer, "how is your "village" coming along. Need anything? We've got fire – if you're willing to pay for it."
"You know very well that we don't have any money on my island, Jack. Besides, why ever in the world would we want to trade with you."
"Because we have your fire."
"I don't give a shit. We have a cigarette lighter. Without it, you won't have a fire in a few days."
"Bugger off." Seal gasped at Merridew's expletive language.
"C'mon, Seal. Let's go somewhere where the air isn't being polluted by that piece of garbage," I said in a stage whisper.
"I heard that," stated Merridew.
We turned our backs on him and began to walk away. As we did so, one of our people gave a shout and pointed at something behind us. We performed an about-face, and saw a giant boulder heading for us. Seal and I dived for a clump of bushes out of its path, motioning for the others to do the same. Unfortunately, Piggy, who is bat-blind without his glasses, did not see the rock. It barreled into him, crushing his body beneath it. When the boulder had moved on, bulldozing a path, we looked to see if anyone had been hurt. That's when we saw Piggy's body. It was mangled beyond recognition, and looked like a pancake – just like in the cartoons. Before we could say the funeral rites for him, two of Jack's boys grabbed the body and threw it over the edge of a nearby cliff.
I turned to Jack. "This is war, you know," I told him calmly.
He walked away without saying a word.
"I want my glasses back," Piggy whined.
"Shut up," one of the other kids told him. It was probably Ben or Sam, and they would pay for it later.
Seal and I walked side by side; leading our people with dignity and grace as we rapidly approached the "castle." Soon, as per my expectations, Jack walked out with two bodyguards. I sniggered at their pathetic weapons.
"Ary, you shouldn't do that, at least not now," Seal admonished me.
"Whatever," was my reply.
Jack had reached us. "So, Ary," he said with a sneer, "how is your "village" coming along. Need anything? We've got fire – if you're willing to pay for it."
"You know very well that we don't have any money on my island, Jack. Besides, why ever in the world would we want to trade with you."
"Because we have your fire."
"I don't give a shit. We have a cigarette lighter. Without it, you won't have a fire in a few days."
"Bugger off." Seal gasped at Merridew's expletive language.
"C'mon, Seal. Let's go somewhere where the air isn't being polluted by that piece of garbage," I said in a stage whisper.
"I heard that," stated Merridew.
We turned our backs on him and began to walk away. As we did so, one of our people gave a shout and pointed at something behind us. We performed an about-face, and saw a giant boulder heading for us. Seal and I dived for a clump of bushes out of its path, motioning for the others to do the same. Unfortunately, Piggy, who is bat-blind without his glasses, did not see the rock. It barreled into him, crushing his body beneath it. When the boulder had moved on, bulldozing a path, we looked to see if anyone had been hurt. That's when we saw Piggy's body. It was mangled beyond recognition, and looked like a pancake – just like in the cartoons. Before we could say the funeral rites for him, two of Jack's boys grabbed the body and threw it over the edge of a nearby cliff.
I turned to Jack. "This is war, you know," I told him calmly.
He walked away without saying a word.