After their unsavoury interlude in North Africa, they were pleased to sail away as soon as possible. The ship smelt like a spice bazaar bringing unhappy memories for Marilla and Mari. John told Marilla how they'd rescued them a few nights later when the horror was less fresh. He'd already chatted with Mari when they brought both women aboard. She'd thanked him graciously and he'd said, "of course, can you imagine how I would have fared if I told Rachel I'd lost you in some Barbary bordello? She'd have had my guts for garters. I had no choice." Mari gave him a wan smile as he tucked her into her bed. "You get some rest, you'll need it after your terrible ordeal, but you're safe now. I won't let anything happen."

Mari might have been happy to remain mostly ignorant of what went on behind the scenes, but Marilla pressed him to tell her more. "Are you sure you want to know?" he asked.

"Yes, tell me everything," she urged while she watched him button up his waistcoat as Susanna drank her breakfast.

"Well," he said casting his mind back to that seedy smoke-filled room where a collection of unsavoury men lounged in a drugged state, and a grimy hookah bubbled in the corner though his inquisitor's eyes looked at him sharply enough. "Mr Abdul directed me to a certain building probably not far from where you disappeared. A tall man dressed in one of those long gowns they wore, do you remember, watched as we entered."

"We?" queried Marilla.

"I took Isaiah and the Mate along with me for back up," John explained, Marilla nodded. "Anyway, he made us stand and make our case before him. I told him I'd get the British authorities involved if I had to."

"Do you think that helped?" Susanna disengaged with a dribble of pearly milk escaping the corner of her mouth and Marilla swapped her to the other side as John answered.

"I'm not sure, it was possibly an empty threat; no one in command seemed all that interested. I got the distinct impression that it happens all the time. Perhaps I just made you both seem like more trouble than you were worth." Marilla made a sound next to him and he added, "that's the best outcome surely. You surely didn't want to stay there did you?"

"No indeed, I did not," Marilla shuddered.

"Come now, I have to get on. Will you be all right my darling?"

"Yes, I have to get the boys sorted. I'll give Mari a couple of days to recover, she's had a nasty shock."

"Do you think she understands?" John asked, his voice lowering as he did up his tie.

"What might have happened to her? I think she has a fair idea, though we haven't gone into too much detail."

"What will you say if she asks?"

Marilla sighed, "I don't know. A girl her age shouldn't know such things, but she came perilously close to finding out in the worst way possible. I feel she has a right to know the bare bones of it. Yet I don't I want to frighten her any more than I have to."

"I'd let her take the lead. If she asks you can answer, otherwise leave it. One day when she's old enough she may be better equipped to deal with that knowledge." He bent down to kiss Marilla on her forehead and Susanna on the back of her head and walked out into the sunshine.

Matthew never thought he'd forget the day he decided to repaint the small lambing shed. It wasn't used for much but sometimes he had something he wanted to store outside of the barn. It might be particularly smelly or flammable and it was useful to keep that sort of thing away from the stock and the hay. Sometimes, it even lived up to its name and was used to keep a ewe and her lamb warm. It was looking pretty battered and he'd decided a fresh whitewash was in order. He had not factored help in his musings, but an open bucket of whitewash had proven irresistible to the little monkey. Soon white handprints decorated the entire east wall and the surrounding ground was likewise festooned. The dark brown monkey turned quite white until Anne was able to bathe him. Matthew wasn't much concerned the as the stuff was cheap and the wall faced away from the house but afterwards the sight of a small white handprint never failed to bring a smile to his face.

Really, Anne thought later when she lay tucked up in her bed with a smuggled monkey curled up under her chin, it was probably the squirrel's fault.

Goliath and the Green Gables' squirrel population enjoyed an antagonistic relationship.

Ever since Goliath disturbed a squirrel family when he clambered up the oak tree one spring afternoon. It had been a regular Saturday afternoon Anne had finished her chores and was given leave to visit as she often did. Emboldened by the warmer weather and the fact that his humans spent more time outside Goliath had gone for a bit of an explore. During winter it had been easy enough to keep tracks on him as he clambered around the bare trees but now the leaves were sprouting and they often lost him in the high branches, only a tell-tale rustling or sudden thrashing of a branch informed them where he was or more to the point had been.

Goliath had been just a baby when he was plucked from his mother's arms and since then had been kept by people which meant that he had little experience with wild animals and it was because of this, Anne surmised, that he took such a fright when he first encountered a squirrel. Surely, he would never have been so petrified of something a quarter of his size, but the first time he saw a small brown animal peering into his eyes he hooted loudly and ran back to Anne, shooting up her leg quite unexpectedly.

Still he was intrigued enough by the mammal to go back to investigate the next day. Matthew and Anne watched him tentatively approach the tree, pause and then disappear into its branches. "Seems to be having fun," remarked Matthew blandly as he dipped his cookie into his tea. That was an understatement Anne thought as the tree seemed to be undergoing a tremendous thrashing as though a massive storm were approaching it and it alone. Goliath poked his head through the branches at times then disappeared again. It seemed to them as they watched that the action roamed all over. At one point the squirrel chased Goliath out into the open and he disappeared up another tree and the chase continued. Matthew reported that the monkey slept very soundly that night.

Matthew had never held a party before and might never have come to the idea if Anne hadn't mentioned it. Anne had a quiet enough life as it was and when she shyly suggested to Matthew that she would like to host a get together one day, he wondered if he could make it happen somehow. He read in the paper a few weeks later that plans were underfoot for a Dominion Day firework display at the White Sands Hotel and decided that perhaps they might have a little fun at Green Gables for once. Looking back Matthew could hardly remember if they had ever had a big party even when he was young; his folks weren't very social, but Matthew felt emboldened with Anne by his side. Together they had driven to town and bought the supplies including a good selection of fireworks. "You're not to go near them," Matthew had warned. "They can be dangerous in the wrong hands."

Naturally Anne had done most of the planning and had invited all her classmates and even some of their parents. The Lyndes were invited also and Rachel and Mrs Barry were helping with the catering. All Anne really had to do was decorate the house and the garden. She and Diana decided to use red, white and blue bunting in honour of the Canadian flag.

Goliath was getting underfoot as they placed delicious cakes and pies and sandwiches on the tables. Having shooed him away for the umpteenth time, Anne decided enough was enough and she plucked him off the table saying out loud as if he could understand, "that's enough from you young man, you can stay up in the gabled room until the guests arrive." She popped him onto the bed and kissed him on the head, so he knew he was still loved. Then she walked out quickly closing the door firmly behind her, relieved that he was out of the way for a while. She might have been less relaxed if she had witnessed a small brown shape exiting the open window, jumping into the pear tree outside the window and climbing down its branches with an easy motion.

Guests started arriving shortly afterwards and Anne was busy, fetching drinks, directing them to the food tables and socialising. She remarked to Diana, "there are so many responsibilities on a person's mind when they're keeping house, isn't there?" and in all the hubbub she quite forgot about Goliath languishing as she thought in the uppermost bedroom. Matthew had meant to pull the fireworks out of the shed already but he had got caught up with his guests and figured it could wait for a few minutes, it was still light after all and he knew they were safe enough, so he didn't worry too much.

Goliath had gone exploring. He swung up into the old oak tree hoping to find some old acorns or something interesting. It was just joyous to swing around up there, the branches were spaced just the right distance apart. Distantly he could hear the hubbub of the crowd but he ignored them. He had just landed on a nice solid branch and was walking along its length with all four feet, his tail counterbalanced behind him when he was interrupted in his play by a territorial squirrel. It had found a mate and they had set a up home in this most desirable of locales. The last thing he needed was an intruder so he popped up in Goliath's face and squealed.

Shocked Goliath, who really could have pummelled the small creature, leapt away and down the tree with the animal chasing him. Even when he reached the ground he was still so startled that he ran for the nearest shelter he could find, the old lambing shed. There he found the relief he had been seeking for the squirrel was satisfied when the monkey disappeared, and turned and ran back up to his mate.

An old jam jar stuffed with bolts fell as Goliath brushed past and lay in pieces on the floor, one large shard rolled slightly and fetched up at an angle to the sunlight that streamed in through the door.

Goliath was intrigued by the thin tall things that stood at angles in the corner, they had an unusual smell and he sniffed them curiously. The old bucket of whitewash stood in the far corner with the lid loosely placed on top. Goliath remembered that smell from his painting days and dipped a finger in and painted the wall in one long stroke.

On the front lawn the party was getting into full swing. Most of the guests had arrived by now. Around a corner some of the boys surreptitiously swigged their moonshine trying not to cough at the harsh burn and give the game away. Rachel was trying to get Anne's attention as she needed a catering decision, but Anne was talking to Diana about how lovely it all was and telling Jane Andrews that they had a surprise planned for later than evening when

BANG!

BANG! BANG! BANG!

sounded and Anne looked up to see a small projectile run full bore from the shed straight into her stomach. Winded Anne instinctively put her arms out to catch Goliath who positively shook next to her chest.

"What the Devil?" Rachel said as she and everyone else turned towards the sound. The reports continued and as they peered around the corner of the house, they could see the small lambing shed's roof and walls rattle with each resounding thud.

"The fireworks!" Matthew cried as he raced over only to be repelled by the smoke and ongoing explosions, colourful sparks shooting in all directions and the deafening sound hurting his ears.

"Not much you can do now," said Thomas Lynde as he joined him. Then together they were nearly knocked off their feet as a particularly large explosion ripped the shed apart, the roof landing some yards away and all four walls splitting apart. The smell of cordite strong and the smoke wafting over the garden.

Goliath was consoled with a piece of cake. The children were amused by the way he sat up in his red trousers with the cake held firmly in his hands eating just like a little person, only his waving tail the obvious giveaway. Afterwards he boldly strolled up and down the tables, leaving sticky footprints in his wake, but no one had the heart to shoo him away after his terrible shock.

Surprisingly it was Matthew who recovered first. "Come now Anne, no need to cry," he comforted her. "It's just an old shed, no harm done, and no one's hurt. Let's not let it ruin the party. I bet," he added conspiratorially, "this is one party that no one will ever be able to forget." And indeed no one ever did. Not only was it one of the happiest parties anyone had ever been to, the firework display became an in joke with anyone living in Avonlea only having to say, 'Bang' and them all to fall about with laughter. It became such a legend that in later years the numbers of attendees had to have grown, for half their area of the island claimed to have been there.

Anne looked up at him gratefully, took a big breath and turned to Diana. "Oh Anne," Di breathed. "How positively awful."

"No," replied Anne resolutely with barely a quiver in her voice. "No, it's fine. I refused to let it dampen the mood. Fireworks are over folks," she added in a loud voice. "Our display just happened a bit sooner than expected." She bowed theatrically and stood before them enjoying their warm laughter at her antics. Matthew beamed so proud of the way his girl handled herself. He promised to let Marilla know about it next time he saw her.