Hilarity Ensues Episode 10, part 4

   That, Ruth thought later, was the easy part.  Once they and the Senate emerged from the chamber of the House they found that messengers had arrived to say that Friderts had retreated into the royal castle and was gathering his forces there.  It was a strongly fortified building a short distance downriver from the Senate building.  Looking up at it from a safe distance, Ruth wondered how they were going to defeat Friderts now.  It seemed impregnable.

   "We should send him an ultimatum," Zoe said.  "Tell him to surrender now or suffer the consequences."

   "He won't surrender," Will said.  

   "Nevertheless, it's the right thing to do," Zoe said.

   "The bearer will be in great danger," one of the Bognorian nobles warned.  "It is likely that Friderts will keep him or her as a hostage."

   "I will go," Zoe said.  The noble shook his head.  "You cannot go," he said vehemently.  "If you or your brother fell into his hands it could destroy us!"

   "Then who will go?" Zoe said.  There was silence around them.

   Once again Ruth felt that she should volunteer, despite her earnest desire to do no such thing.  She looked up at Will, half opening her mouth, but he shook his head.

   "You and Patrick have done enough for us already," he said.  Ruth looked down, relieved yet ashamed.

   "I'll go," Adam said, stepping forward.  "What do you want me to say?"

   "Are you sure?" Ruth asked him.  "You know what they might do..."  Adam nodded awkwardly.  "After what you did, I can't not."

   One of the Bognorian nobles stepped forward.   "I will go too," he said.  "You will need someone who speaks Bognorian."

   The others watched as the two walked forward towards the gates of the castle, slowly, their arms stretched out to show that they meant no harm, carrying a flag of truce.  They stopped a short distance from the main gate, and the nobleman hailed the guards in Bognorian, asking for permission to enter and speak to Friderts.

   "They're not firing at them," Zoe said.  "That's a good sign."

   Ruth watched as a side gate was slowly opened for Adam and the nobleman to pass through.  She remembered their days of imprisonment with a shudder and hoped that Adam would be ok.  Friderts did not sound like a nice person to be the prisoner of.  The gate closed behind them with a clang and there was nothing they could do now but wait and hope.  

   They waited until hope was running dry, and then waited some more.  Still there was no sign from the castle, either good or bad.  The travellers shuffled their feet awkwardly and looked sideways at Will and Zoe as they whispered together or spoke in Bognorian to the nobles.  Eventually another of the nobles stepped forward gingerly towards the gates of the castle.  A shot passed over his head.  The tension in the group of watchers increased.  The noble stopped, and called out to the guards, but the only reply was further shots, and he turned and hurried back to safety.

   "We were trying to find out what had happened to Adam and Agorna," Will said, turning to the travellers.  "But it looks like they won't even tell us.  We have to fear the worst."  The others looked at each other, shocked that they might not see Adam again, apprehensive as to what would happen next.

   "Now we have no choice but to storm the castle!" Zoe said.  The other's fear increased.

   "We don't know how to fight," Tom said.  

   "You won't have to, I hope," Will said, "We'll make sure you have weapons, just for self defence.  But fortunately we have our friends the astroninjas and the pirates to do most of the fighting- and with the Senate on our side I suspect a lot of the people of the city will join us too."

   "But first we've got to get a message to the ninjas inside the castle," Zoe said.  "It's getting dark."

   Ruth and the others crouched in the shadows just out of shot from the castle walls, waiting for the signal to advance.  Ruth was afraid, but she was used to that now.  After she had been so close to death and survived, it seemed cruel that she should be in danger again so soon.  But she was a different person from the girl who had left Earth what seemed an age ago.  They had all changed, and her not the least.  She felt the weight of the gun in the holster at her waist and hoped she would not have to use it.  

   Patrick was at her side, with Tom and Agnes close behind.  They had decided, when going through the plan with Zoe and Will, that once they got into the castle they would try to find out what had happened to Adam and the Bognorian lord Agorna who had gone with him.  A small group of pirates was with them, to do the actual fighting, and two of the Senate who knew the castle to act as guides.  

   Far away on the other side of the castle they heard shouts and the noise of shots.  Will, with most of the pirates, was attacking one of the gates to draw the attention of the guards to that part of the castle and allow the others to enter where they weren't expected.

   "The gate's opening," Patrick whispered.  "Look!"  The side gate by which Adam had entered was opening slowly.  

   Ruth felt her wrist communicator vibrate, and switched the speakerphone on.  "Time to go," Zoe said.  "Good luck everyone!"

   Other shadows began to detach themselves from the darkness around the castle walls and converge on the gate.  It had been opened by the astroninjas who had been forming part of Friderts' bodyguard and so were already within the castle.  Now the other astroninjas, led by Zoe and the chief ninja, began to make their way in through the gate.

   "Come on," Ruth said to her group, and they began to move forward and join the steady stream heading into the castle.

  

The story continues...