CHAPTER XXVII: THE PATH TO VICTORY
'All right,' yelled the grasshopper, pointing the marching ants forward, while carrying a small fluorescent mushroom, 'get moving!' The ants were, under orders, marching into the space next to the anthill, which was guarded by several grasshoppers.
'Get going!' he yelled, kicking an ant just below his thorax. 'Move your abdomens now!'
'They're rounding everyone up,' whispered Flik, who was watching the scene through a custom-made telescope of his. I was behind the others with Tuck and Roll, and the rest of the circus bugs were around Flik, hiding around some leaves.
Just as the others peeked up to have a closer look, a bright yellow light glowed to our right. Looking over, we saw that it was one of the fireflies.
'Hey,' hissed Francis, 'turn your butt off!' Flash hastened to obey. He, Blip and Ymri was around the back of the circus wagon, which was on a small stretch of free ground in the clover forest. P.T. was hung up by Rosie's web inside the back compartment of the wagon.
'Pss, hey, guys' he hissed to Ymri, Blip and Flash, 'get me outta this thing, will ya? I promise to start thinking about paying ya –' Blip and Flash started to shut the flap, while Ymri gave P.T. a brief wave '– wait, wait! OK, I'll pay ya, I'll pay y –' the flap was shut fully, muffling out his voice. I brought my attention back to Flik and the others.
'Oh no!' hissed Flik to us, looking through the telescope at the bench in the colony clearing, where several grasshoppers sat, along with the Queen and Atta. We also saw that the line of ants dropping food next to them had literally just finished.
'They've finished collecting the food,' whispered Flik to us. 'We've got to get the Queen now! Once she's safe, we move on Gypsy's signal. We all nodded, and ducked back down. Flik and Dot snuck off to get the Blueberries, while we all went to the wagon.
Slim, Francis and Heimlich went up on top of the wagon. Slim held the centipedes by their reins. Ymri was behind them, ready with his instruments. Blip and Flash positioned themselves next to him. Manny and Gypsy positioned themselves to take flight, from the back of the wagon.
Rosie attached the wagon to my back via a small rope, as Tuck and Roll squeezed themselves into it. We were ready. All we needed was Flik's signal...
'You ready?' said Rosie to me, looking concerned.
I turned to face her and, for the first time in my life, I didn't see Cora in Rosie. I just saw Rosie, almost as if Cora had never existed. I was starting to overcome my problem, I could tell.
'Not just ready,' I responded. Before Rosie could respond as well, I brought out my web-bound pebble again.
'I'm bright,' I said. Rosie smiled, and held out her one as well. We juggled them against each other, and then I gave them to Rosie for safekeeping. She then climbed on top of me, and we waited...
Flik must have given the signal to Slim, because he whipped the centipedes, and they instantly started to pull the wagon forward. Ymri started up a drum roll, as Blip and Flash shone their lights, and Gypsy and Manny flew alongside the wagon. I walked alongside the wagon, as Slim started speaking, just as we approached the looping tree root.
'Ladies and Gentlebugs!' he said, as we drew closer. 'Larvae of all stages! Rub your legs together for the world's greatest bug circus!'
Ymri struck up a much jazzier tune just as we went into the clearing, while Flash and Blip shone their lights to attract attention. Rosie and I smiled as we walked alongside the moving wagon. Francis, Slim and Heimlich waved to all the watching grasshoppers – most of which looked downright befuddled – as we started to approach the bench.
Between the Queen and Atta, who looked really shocked in a bad way, sat a really menacing grasshopper. The resemblance to Maula was uncanny, except for the minor physical differences, and the lack of a stinger or a colour scheme. I could only assume that he was Hopper. All the other grasshoppers looked ordinary, except for a pudgy one on Atta's other side, and a beast-like one on the Queen's right.
But just as we continued to act as though we were expected, Hopper stood up.
'Wait a minute!'
Something about him made us stop. The wagon stopped moving, Ymri musical interlude died away on a repeated last note, and Gypsy and Manny landed down. All out expressions changed for the worse slightly.
'Mesa think I'm going to wet myself,' mumbled Heimlich, as he waved unconvincingly. Francis leaned across to him and whispered 'Steady...' as he managed to keep on a smile, although it still showed traces of fear.
'What's going on here?' said Hopper slowly, leaning into a shocked Atta, making her draw back slightly.
'Well,' stammered Atta, 'uh –'
'Ah, yes,' interrupted Slim, drawing Hopper's attention away from Atta. He chuckled nervously briefly, while Francis kept his fear-ridden smile.
'We were invited by Princess Atta –' Francis nodded in agreement '– as a surprise for your arrival.' Atta watched Hopper, who didn't move a muscle. We all just waited, hoping he would take well to this, and that he wasn't as humour-repelling as Maula was.
'Squish 'em,' he said shortly. He had only just finished when Francis and Slim's expression changed to gasps of fear faster than you could flick a light switch. The six grasshoppers other grasshoppers on the bench instantly buzzed above their seats, looking pretty menacing.
'Ooh,' I stuttered, back-stepping in a hurry. I lost my grip, and sat backwards, straight on the cannon. Tuck and Roll instantly shot out, rebounded off the wagon, and flew straight through the air, landing right in front of Hopper.
'Hey!' they said, unrolling with a pop, as they danced around each, other, completely ignorant of the expressions of Hopper, the Queen, or Atta 'Ya brava-brava do daa-vitch, ee eska broad-da vaita vitch!'
'A-broa-dee-da-vooda-vitch-eska' jumbled Roll, revolving around on the same spot.
'Eee-eska-vitch-a-vossa!' interjected Tuck, slapping Roll on the face.
They then started squabbling over what appeared to be nothing, now flapping their many limbs at each other. Hopper slowly raised a finger and pointed at them, as a smile crossed his face.
'Now that's funny,' he said. The grasshoppers lowered themselves back down into their seats, laughing and mocking Tuck and Roll's action, for they were now rolling around the ground, still fighting.
'I guess we could use a little entertainment,' said Hopper gently, sitting back down, and putting his legs up. 'Looks like you did something right for once, Princess.' Atta looked around nervously, clearly utterly confused.
Slim leapt down from the wagon and chuckled nervously.
'On with the show!' he said, raising his four arms. And in no time at all...
'Hi yah!' shouted Rosie, whipping the whip at me, as I rode around her in a circle, Tuck and Roll on top of me. They chanted some stuff, one standing on top of the other.
'The circus, the circus!' chanted the pudgy grasshopper, as I rode past him. 'I love the circus!'
As I rode past the bench, while Rosie whipped the whip at me again, I caught a glance of Hopper again. While he was not cheering along with the other grasshoppers, he did seem satisfied. Atta and the Queen, of course, were still totally nervous and befuddled.
When my act was over, it was Heimlich's turn next. He sucked on a fake baby bottle, lying on the ground with a nappy made of two big folded leafs around his abdomen.
'Bottle all gone,' he moaned, sitting up, and flinging away the bottle. 'Baby wants pie!'
'Pie?' asked Francis, buzzing next to Heimlich with a raspberry pie, while Heimlich hopped up and down in excitement. 'He asked for it! Should I give it to him?'
'Yeah,' cried the pudgy grasshopper, while several of his buddies egged Francis on. 'Give pie, give pie!'
Without waiting, Francis flung the pie at Heimlich. Several food bits scattered, some hitting the grasshoppers. They laughed as Heimlich licked the raspberry off both himself and Francis.
'Thank you gentlemen, always an intellectual treat,' said Slim, while he juggled several red berries.
'Say, how many roaches does it take to screw in a light bulb?' wondered Slim aloud, tossing the berries into the air. 'Can't tell – soon as the light goes on, they scatter!' he finished, as he caught the berries and posed.
Many grasshoppers fell over laughing at these words, including three positioned at the anthill. Waiting beside the wagon, for I was needed shortly, I noticed Atta roll her eyes, and then glance upwards. From her silent shock, I could tell she had noticed Flik and the Blueberries climbing up the tree. She squirmed slightly in her seat, and then half-chanced a glance at Hopper. Luckily, he was still watching us. And...
'From the most mysterious regions, of uncharted Asia,' chanted Manny (he was wearing his stage turban), as I pushed the huge Chinese takeaway box forward into place. I then stood back, and smiled. 'I give you, the Chinese Cabinet, of metamorphosis!
'Utilising psychic vibrations,' continued Manny, closing his eyes and resting his hands on them, as he walked forward to the bench, 'I shall select the perfect volunteer.
'Ooo, oo-oo,' mumbled the pudgy grasshopper as Manny passed, 'pick me! Come on –' he strained his arms and muscles in a similar position as Manny '– I'm asking you with my brain!'
Manny hummed as he reached around in the air, now right in front of Hopper.
'Aha!' he yelled, pointing at the Queen, reaching out with a hand. 'Why, your majesty...'
'Me –' said the Queen, taking Manny's hand. But then, the fearsome grasshopper next to the Queen let out a snarl at Manny, making him jump backwards.
'No, Thumper, down,' said Hopper casually to the fearsome grasshopper, making him sit back in his seat.
'Maybe he'll saw her in half,' said Hopper, chuckling, as Manny helped the Queen over the bench and towards me.
'As you ascend the dung beetle to the unknown,' said Manny dramatically, as the Queen hopped onto my horn. I buzzed up to the level of the Chinese takeaway box, and she climbed off me – only to be secured under my abdomen, as I rotated while lowering myself back down to ground level. This was all part of the plan, of course. I had done the move so quickly that none of the grasshoppers even suspected anything at all.
'Put your trust in the mysteries that are beyond mere mortal comprehension,' continued Manny, as I walked back to the circus wagon. We were almost done. Despite the similarities, I felt much safer about this plan compared to the rock-trap from much earlier. That had flaws. This one didn't.
'Oh, this is gonna be good,' said Hopper in a relaxed state, as I just went around the circus wagon, where all the others, except for Gypsy, were waiting.
'I call upon the ancient Szechwan spirits,' said Manny loudly, as I turned around. Rosie, Slim, Heimlich, Tuck and Roll motioned for me to stay quiet as I did so. 'To inhabit the body of our volunteer!' said Manny's voice again.
I felt the Queen peek out of my shell. I could understand her confusion.
'No-no,' whispered Francis behind me, 'just stay in there, your majesty.' I felt the Queen duck back in.
'Transformation,' said Manny from the other side, 'transformation, transformation!' As we huddled together for warmth while we waited, we looked up at the night sky. We saw cloud drift over the moon slowly – rain clouds. Something told me that wasn't good...
'Wow,' said Francis in a surprised tone. 'Manny's getting good.'
We waited, feeling the tension in the air. Just about 30 more seconds...
'And now,' said Manny's voice dramatically, 'Insectus, Transformitus!'
We heard the box vibrate, as Gypsy burst out of it. Un-noticed, we edged back around the wagon.
'Oohh,' chanted several of the grasshoppers, looking at Gypsy's wings, as she floated in the air. With a final note from Ymri, who had been adding his fanfare to the whole show, Gypsy spun around to face the bench, and slowly floated down. The grasshoppers stared at Gypsy with a mesmerised look. The pudgy one said 'Pretty...' in an almost mesmerised way.
As the grasshoppers clapped, Gypsy landed beside Manny, holding his hands. They bowed repeatedly, Gypsy flexing her wings behind her, for that was the signal to Flik, who was undoubtedly watching from above for it.
'Thank you, thank you,' said Gypsy, as Manny and her continued to bow. We knew the bird would strike in the next 15 seconds. But, without being noticed, Tuck, Roll, Slim and Francis started to push the Chinese takeaway box offstage, while Heimlich, Rosie and I moved behind.
'That was amazing!' said the pudgy grasshopper breathlessly, as they continued clapping. I, hav, no, wha – how did they do that? I have no idea where she went!'
'Thank you, thank you, thank you,' continued Gypsy, as we continued t push the Chinese takeaway box further away, while the grasshoppers started to shout 'More!' repeatedly.
'Wait!' shouted Hopper, leaning forward, with a glint of evil in his eyes. Gypsy let her wings drop at this, and the rest of us stopped dead in our tracks.
'Where is she?' questioned Hopper, standing up.
'Well,' stammered Manny, mumbling as he took a few steps backwards, 'I, um, um, actually –'
'I'm sorry,' cut in Gypsy, stepping in front of Manny, 'a magician never reveals his secrets!' Manny nodded in agreement behind her.
'That's very true, Hoppy,' lectured the pudgy grasshopper, completely ignorant of Hopper's glare. 'I mean, where would the mystery be if we all knew how it was –' Hopper flung a spare kernel at him, and he instantly stopped talking, squeezing himself up, while Atta moved her eyes back and forth without moving.
'Shutting up,' said the pudgy grasshopper quietly.
'I said where is she?' yelled Hopper at us, as he and the other grasshopper stepped over the bench, advancing on us. We backed off, now being completely surrounded.
Manny let out a whimper of fear as the grasshopper came closer. What was going on? The bird should have struck by now.
Hopper made straight for Manny, and started throttling him by the throat; Gypsy grabbed Hopper by an arm, and strained to pull him off of Manny.
I chanced a glance upwards, and our patience was finally rewarded.
The bird came down out of the hole, heading straight for us.
We heard the echo of a cry through the blow horn inside the bird as it come closer. We all looked up at that, including Hopper, still maintaining his grip on Manny.
'Aahhhhh!' yelled Hopper, letting go of Manny and Gypsy, who backed off. He let out one continuous yell as the bird came closer.
We all ducked, and it just missed us, looping over us. The grasshoppers looked absolutely terrified.
'Bird!' shouted Hopper in fear, pointing up at the bird, as it flew upwards. 'It's a bird!'
The bird looped upwards in the air. It probably felt like an e-ticket ride for those inside. I saw it start to turn around for another attack.
We heard numerous yells, as the colony played along with the fake scare, and began running everywhere, yelling fake yells. The grasshoppers also ran around, only they were actually yelling out of fear.
'Yes!' whooped Atta, leaping over the bench, and running around with the rest of the colony.
We all smiled at each other, before we too started running everywhere, also yelling out in fear.
As I ran through the crowd that was running everywhere, I saw Blip and Flash glance briefly at each other, give a short, curt nod, and then began shining their butt lights up into the sky, to help the bird find its way through the dark.
As everyone was running everywhere, doing everything to play along with the scare, the bird came in again. It made straight for four grasshoppers that were together. They ducked, tripped, stumbled and rolled in the dirt as the bird's beak just missed them. Getting up as it flew upwards, they looked terrified.
'Let's get outta here!' yelled one of them, taking flight over the looping tree root, his buddies beside him. It was working, for four were already gone! Unless something bad happened really soon, this would work perfectly!
The bird looped around, its wings beating as it made for two other grasshoppers. They fell forwards as it flew over them, yelling out in panic.
'Don't let it get me, don't let it get me!' moaned Hopper to the pudgy grasshopper, for he was hiding behind him. The bird, as if it had heard him, darted towards them, letting out another echoed yell.
'Help me!' said Hopper, falling down with the pudgy grasshopper, as it flew over them. 'Aahhhhh!'
As I continued to jog around, I felt the Queen lean briefly out of my shell from behind. She laughed along as we kept running.
Changing course again, as I couldn't help watching what was going on while I continued to play along.
The bird flew around again, flying over the circus wagon as Hopper cowered behind the pudgy grasshopper around the wagon. As the bird looped overhead, I saw Slim grin. He then splattered a red berry all over his eye.
As the bird looped just over his eye, he jumped in fake pain. Running around in panic, he came up to Hopper and his friend.
'My eye!' moaned Slim, pointing at it, which looked like it was bleeding, even though it was just berry juice. 'Help me!'
'Aahh!' yelled Hopper, running to the side, while the pudgy brown-shaded grasshopper, covered his mouth with his hands, looking like he wanted to puke. Hopper then came up right in front of three ants covered in fake blood, moaning out in fake pain.
'Aaahhh!' he yelled, running from them, and coming right up right in front of Heimlich, who was also covered with the fake blood, but with a twist – his head appeared to be missing. Letting out another yell, Hopper ran off the other way.
Heimlich popped up his head, and licked some of the berry juice off his head.
'Mmmm,' he said thoughtfully, 'Boysenberry!'
Looking to my right again, I saw something bad – the bird was heading straight for the circus wagon. It veered left, but too late –
It hit the wagon at full force, knocking it over. The two separate parts landed on the ground, as the various circus equipment was scattered everywhere.
Including P.T., as he rolled free of the spider web. Grunting, he watched as the bird looped around in the air again. He let out a gasp, standing up, as he then looked to his left.
'Uhh, oh-ho, the pain,' moaned Manny, covered in fake blood, as he collapsed on the ground. Manny mourned over his body, as the two nearby grasshoppers ran for it.
'There goes my magic act!' moaned P.T. He looked around, and then leapt over to the match box.
'Flaming Death!' he yelled, lighting up a spare match against the side of the box. He then leapt through the air.
'No, P.T.!' shouted Slim, but to no avail.
P.T. landed on the bottle of flammable liquid, shooting it out of the opener. He then held the match in the path, turning it into a shot of fire. The fire hit the rear of the bird, as it looped over P.T. It was now on fire, making it look clearly fake!
'Yeah, a direct hit!' he cheered, as it flew upwards. He whooped leaping up and down for a second.
Me and the other circus bugs watched as the bird still flew around, as though nothing was wrong. How could Flik not notice?
He appeared to – the bird's wings drooped, and it stopped looping. I fell downwards, swinging everywhere by the rope that had being holding it up this whole time. Many ants stopped running and looked up at the haywire bird, pointing.
Hopper, who had been just about to run, also saw. He snarled, realising he had been tricked.
The rope of the bird was suddenly detached, and it was heading straight for the ground right by us. We quickly scuttled out of the way as it flew past the broken circus wagon.
With an almighty "WRENCH" it crashed next to the anthill, pushing up the soil particles. It moved up a bit, before finally stopping, as one of the wings fell off. The fire at its rear clearly illuminated it now.
Atta gasped, next to Francis and Slim, looking at the wreckage.
'Dot!' she gasped, running forwards to it. We and the various ants ran forwards as well.
Approximate Movie Running Time: 67:10-74:18