Remorse Code

By Allan Kausch

Fiction · Reprints · March 20, 2002

Boppy marched the skeleton now admittedly at a snail’s pace and we were soon lost. We marched on and on. Before long a saucer shaped crater drew near. We reached the lip took the plunge and toboganned down the steep steps.

What an ass said Boppy looking at the camera judging by that last bump we must have bottomed out on an outcropping. Let’s camp here. I see Zari has caught a cold. Here Miss Delamere it’s your turn to wear the coat.

Frowning and tugging at the coat of arms his first thought was that the sleeves had grown longer during the day having second thoughts he became alarmed. Open sesame! he cried but it was no use the bewitched coat would not let go without the secret. I sighed and began to speak when Zari teeth chattering whispered a few words in French and the spell was broken.

37

A nun buoy anchored on the steps had brought the skeleton to a full stop. The ivory tusks were jammed into the sandstone there was no going forward. Luckily shucks eight forty arrived in a lifeboat. He lowered a bucket on a rope and Zari dropped in without spilling a drop. A few hard boiled hours passed and Boppy started to get lopsided.

Go tell the stupid robot to hurry up he said angrily setting the doll free in the direction of page one.

She shot to the surface and struck her head hard on the bottom of the lifeboat. Dazed she would have drifted off if knickers hadn’t been shooting lampreys.

Oh it’s that ‘orrid doll. What a bore. Fish me out! shrieked Miss Delamere.

In a moment tinctured by recollection the girl heroically lifted her into the boat. Miss Delamere was very agitated. Cursing with absurdities as only a wooden doll can she gave them a thorough soaking.

Buona pesca¹ said Zari trying to think of something to believe in instead of always wishing for something just out of reach.

¹ good catch

38

The cottage was battling a storm presently it groaned and fell over spilling Grannie out of her cosy bed and into the rain. Colly found her fast asleep beside the sideboard. The sacks of diamonds were undisturbed beneath the floor.

Revolution? asked the old bat. Here in underland?