/Quite a bit in this chapter is original, actually. The annual morris dancing competition is mine, as are the locations Gurkrist Hill and the Witches' Study and Training Room in Cauldron Keep. Egliztorb is my Stony; however, the Stony concept is Rareware's. Zzinifor the Zubba is my Zubba, again the Zubba concept is Rareware's. Um, Rare's, I mean. Clyde the giant Gecko is a totally OC and Flint, Old King Coal's son is my creation, though the race of coalpeople was Rare's idea. Finally, the entire Council and all associated rituals are mine. And the Jinjo life cycle, and the politics of the Isle o' Hags, mustn't forget that now, must we?

Beyond that everything else is Rare's./

The Hunt

In Jinjo Village the Jinjos were holding their annual morris dancing competition against the Moggies of Mayahem Temple. Months of hard practice had gone into this, and the CLACK! CLACK! CLACK! of connecting sticks filled the air. Hecklers and hawkers filled the crowd, selling goods from all over the Isle o' Hags - pumice stones from Hailfire Peaks, quality grain grown by Bovina in Mayaham Temple, shock-absorbant jelly and ultra-rare Floatus Floatium eggs from Cloud Cuckooland.

And in a clear area in the centre of the Village the Jinjos danced against the Moggies. So much practice had gone into looking like complete berks and having a really good time as they did that everyone was really annoyed when Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, Jamjars, Mumbo and Humba dashed straight through the middle of the display on a beeline to the palace of the Jinjo King.

"Hey, "Get outta here", "Great going - JERKS!", said crowd, hecklers, Moggies and Jinjos alike as they disappeared into the palace.

King Jingaling was holding court as they barged in, but when he saw the looks on their faces he tactfully cut short Targitzan's delegation from Mayahem Temple in the midst of their report on Minjo activity.

"Most sorry, Officer Ungopaz, Private Egliztorb, but an important matter has just come up."

The look he shot Banjo and the gang promised trouble if it proved to be anything but.

"Igliz torab byr un byrd!" said Egliztorb, a Stony.

"I am afraid so, Egliztorb. I suggest you enjoy the morris dancing while you can; I am sure the Moggies will appreciate your support", said Jingaling, seeing them out. As soon as the door had closed he strode back to his throne, a very serious look on his face. "That was the Mayaham delegation, keeping me up to date on the information from their... plants... in Minjo Fortress."

The Minjos were identical to the Jinjos and there was some speculation as to whether they had even been the same species once, becoming so different over time.

Jingaling knew better. The Minjos had been created by Grunty one thousand years ago to oppose the Jinjos and blacken their reputation by performing evil deeds in their name. It had backfired. The Jinjo King of the time, a Jinjo named Altrupinloch (Al-Troop-In-Loch) had seized upon the Minjos as the perfect cover for his Black Ops division, and had obtained unrivalled political power in the Isle 'o Hags. The Jinjos enjoyed that influence to this day.

"This had better be important", the Jinjo King continued, "a misstep with the Minjos could result in open war."

"How's this for important, Dingaling?" asked Kazooie irreverantly. "Grunty's head has been stolen!"

King Jingaling turned pale. This could mean disaster - what if some mad fool thought to revive her? He would have to question all the guards who had been on Keep duty this past week. What manner of theif could evade them? They had kept watch over the ground entrance in the Quagmire and the dome on the top of the keep would deflect any air assault.

He called the Mayahem delegation in; they should be present for this. It would undoubtedly cut short their own information gathering exercises, a small bonus. Ha! Even in a crisis such as this he was steeped deeply in these political currents. Sometimes the way politics ruled his life as he in turn ruled the Jinjos scared him. Even a King was not free; indeed, the responsibilities of being supreme ruler often left Jingaling wishing for the days before he was raised to the throne.

Before long everyone was in the throne room, and the Jinjo King spoke.

"I am about to call a Council. If everyone could gather on the dais, please?"

Everyone climbed onto the dais; Humba nearly fell off and Mumbo steadied her. The dais was never really meant to hold nine people.

King Jingaling used his power and a golden glow filled the dais. The Jinjos and Moggies paused in their morris dancing as a pillar of golden light shot from the domed top of the Palace roof.

Inside the palace, all those on the dais were dissolving into little blobs of golden light. Then they were away, flying over the land, a golden glow not constrained by the tiresome laws of physics or matter.

As energy they flew, streaking for Gurkrist Hill, chosen as a meeting point centuries ago as a point on the borders of all the Realms' rulers.

The party coalesced even as the rulers of the other eight Realms arrived. They had all used their own science or magic to arrive, of course; Targitzan, the ruler of Mayahem Temple, was a god and therefore a magical creature himself, as was Old King Coal, the ruler of Glitter Gulch Mountain and the rich mines underneath. Mr. Patch, ruler of Witchyworld, was a possessed inflatable dinosaur and quite capable of making his way to the Hill. Lord Woo Fak Fak, the supreme ruler of Jolly Roger's Lagoon and the underlying sunken city of Atlantis, being a giant anglerfish, would suffocate in the open air and so had sent an emissary, a dog-sized Gecko named Clyde. Terry of Terrydactyland had flown in, while Weldar, ruler of Grunty Industries and canny enough to know when to push for products like the GruntyHead football, had used matter-transference tech to arrive. Chilli Willi and Chilly Billy, the two pizza-loving dragon brothers ruling over Hailfire Peaks, had teleported in while the Queen Zubba in Cloud Cuckooland, not being able to fly or move around herself, had sent a Zubba named Zzifinor to the Council. And with Jingaling, of course, was Targitzan's delegation, Officer Ungopaz and Egliztorb, who joined Targitzan as soon as he appeared, and Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, Jamjars, Mumbo and Humba.

Banjo and Kazooie had fought and defeated each Realm's ruler except for the Zubba queen; in Cloud Cuckooland they fought a robot that had fooled them into thinking it was Mumbo. They were somewhat nervous about being so close to the various rulers; bar Old King Coal, who they were on good terms with, and the Zubba Queen, everyone had a grudge against them. No-one liked a bearer of bad news, either. But this was a Council and all grievances are shelved until the Council comes to a decision.

"If this Council is about your kickball again, mortal, you will risk losing my divine favour", said Targitzan. Jingaling was not above making an excuse to call a Council and then turning it into a match planning session.

"This is a Council of great importance", snapped King Jingaling, "as Banjo, Kazooie, Bottles, Jamjars, Mumbo and Humba will explain. What we decide here today could alter the course of history. Banjo, Kazooie, tell them the bad news."

Gurkrist Hill fell silent. Then Kazooie spoke.

"We were heading up to Cauldron Keep as we do every Sunday. We have a kick-around with Grunty's head up there, in commemoration of her second defeat."

"So we entered the dome", continued Banjo, "and found her sack on the floor. Grunty's head", he finished, "has been stolen!"

Suddenly everyone started talking at once. No-one wanted Grunty's whereabouts unknown, and everyone was on the brink of panic. Jingaling had to send several bursts of golden energy up into the air, where they exploded with a loud BANG, to quieten everyone down. (This is the Council equivalent of hitting a mallet on a desk and shouting 'Order'.)

"They came to me straight away, of course", said the Jinjo King, as though nothing had happened, "and my first reaction was to call a Council. We must discuss in detail our plans from here on. I am sure that none of us want Gruntilda running about loose again, not after the damage she did last time. The Grey Jinjo family has only just been resurrected after two years of death thanks to Mumbo and Humba here..."

That made the rulers sit up and take notice; word had filtered through to them about the Pool, of course - Weldar had even watched the spell in action! - and to see those who had cast it in the flesh was quite extraordinary. None of the rulers had thought there was any long-term hope for the Jinjos; Jinjos are only fertile during the youngest phase in their life, the Grey phase. Then they mature to Black jinjos, all the way to the White Jinjo, the Sage of Order, and eventually they grow to be King. The White family must always number one, the Grey must always number ten. When a King dies the White Jinjo becomes the next King, growing to immense proportions during a spell which all lower families join in casting, and then the families elect members to be raised to the higher families, starting with a Jinjo raised to the White and ending with a Jinjo raised to the Black. Once the raising has been done the Grey family will produce a child Jinjo to fill the gap. Each Jinjo family has its own special shade of the Shadow magic to use, as seen when they cleansed Spiral Mountain.

"...and poor Tooty has been in stasis for twice as long, four years!", continued Jingaling. "She was freed only a few weeks ago, so Gruntilda's evil outlives her activity by a long mark. With this in mind, I suggest that we search for her head immediately. I will double my guard in the Quagmire, none of whom will be of the guard active this past week. I will question the guard later. Weldar, the Industries open into the Quagmire. Could you bolster my forces to be doubly sure?"

"I could spare a few Guvnors, maybe a Tintop or two", said Weldar. "I will be keeping to body of my forces in the Industries to search for Grunty's head, however."

"Mortal", intoned Targitzan, "my Moggies will search Mayaham Temple from top to bottom. If Grunty's head is there, it will be found. I will even erect a Sput Sput or two in Wooded Hollow, and station some of my forces there. This I do declare is my divine judgement."

"I'll get the Billy Bobs looking through Glitter Gulch", said Old King Coal, "and I'll get Flint to mind Chuffy for me while I direct the search. I should be able to spare a couple for the Plateau." Flint was Old King Coal's son, and heir of Glitter Gultch Mine.

"I will personally stand guard over Witchyworld atop the Big Top", said Mr. Patch,"and my Jippo Jims will scour all facilities for Gruntilda. I will also station troops in Pine Grove."

"As Lord Woo Fak Fak's emisarry", said Clyde,"I will strongly advise Lord Fak to alert all Keelhauls and Puftups, all Blubbals and Inkys of the situation. He will also be strongly advised to place a heavy guard of Keelhauls on all land areas, and set patrols through the Cliff Top."

The gecko faded into nothing. A moment later, he faded back, dripping wet.

"Lord Fak will do this."

"I myself will get all Bargasaurases, Soarasours, Unga Bungas, Oogle Boogles and Rocknuts to keep a close eye out for her in Terrydactyland", said Terry. "I will place a few of my troops in the Wasteland area, of course, and Chompasaur and Stomponadon will be informed of this crisis. If Grunty is in my realm", he said, eyes darkening, "then she will not leave intact".

"I and my brother will ensure that all Hothands, Hotheads, Gobgoyles, Biggafoots and S'Hards are scouring both sides of Hailfire Peaks", said Chilli Billi.

"We will also post a modest guard in the Cliff Top area", added Chilly Willy.

That accounted for everyone bar the Cloud Cuckoolanders. Everyone turned to Zzifinor.

"I will advizzze the Queen to fill Cloud Cuckooland wizzz every zzzoldier bee in our hive. We will alzzzo add a forzzze to the Wasteland. We may be able to negozzziate with the Flatzzzozzz; it wazzz Gruntilda who turned them flat. Onzzze they were Fatzzzozzz."

"When this is all over", said Jingaling, "our Full Circle will reverse that spell, as should be done. For now, however, we must prepare for the dreadful possibility that Gruntilda is free and in power. Therefore, we will place magical traps in Spiral Mountain, Jinjo Village, Wooded Hollow, Pine Grove, the Cliff Top, the Wasteland and more on top of those already in the Quagmire. Those ought to slow her down if she does turn up. Very well, I close this Council. We will return here in two day's time, on Tuesday afternoon."

Meanwhile, in Cauldron Keep's Witches' Study...

Gruntilda let out a screech of fury as she viewed the scene in her cauldron. She had known that the Jinjo King would lead the Council - the Jinjos had so much political weight it could hardly be any other way - and she had known that by Sunday they would find her gone. It forewarned them, however. She clutched her statue tightly in her fist. It was a beautiful statue, a perfect figurine of herself with bejeweled green eyes. It would seem beautiful, anyway, and Gruntilda would, when she unleashed her fury upon the pathetic forces arrayed against her. They would meet again, then, next Tuesday afternoon. She had to crush the temptation to turn up on the day and slaughter them all; they would have uses alive, some of them. She had not expected them to be so efficient, she had expected their contempt of her to cloud their thinking, she had expected them to forget how dangerous she was over these last two years and two humiliating defeats, oh yes she had, she HAD! She let out another ear-splitting shriek. But she had to wait until Wednesday, she did, Wednesday when the HAG1 would be complete. If only that fool Klungo could work faster!

She had until Wednesday to practice how she would kill Banjo and Kazooie. Until Wednesday to think of ways to occupy those she allowed to live (for what good is it, being the most beautiful being alive, if none are there to know?).

Grimly she entered her training room. She could always use a bit of practice to further hone her skills. And it would take her mind off the wait.

/Trouble's brewing. But you know that. You can expect more over the next two days or so. Gruntilda's really quite horrible, isn't she? I decided not to go into detail about just how she would have slaughtered the Council; losing your lunch over the keyboard is none too pleasant. Oh, too late. Read and review, or may all eleven shades of Shadow forsake you. Yeah./