The Yellow Dandelion, alias Mr Smith, looked around as if nervously, and said in a low voice:
"I'm from, the Central Council." He displayed his large wad of papers. "These are my papers, if you want to see them." He returned them quickly to his pocket. "There is a prisoner here, we believe?"· he shot out quickly and sharply.
"Why yes - yes, there is," stammered the Secretary, licking his lips worriedly. "But I - I - "
"Good. I have already been in communication with His Highness on the subject, but I was hoping he would be here in person. Never mind, I can take him now anyway, and I'll give you a receipt." He put his lips close to the other man's ear. "Don't, of course, tell anyone, but he is to be kept at the Palace. The Council thought it safer."
"I - I - I-m not quite s - sure," began the other man.
"If you could have him tied up for me I can take him safely enough in the back of the van I brought for him. I'll write out a receipt right away." He produced an enormous fountain pan and a slip of paper from his inside pocket, and, leaning on the mantelshelf, started to write. The Secretary looked at his back helplessly for a few moments, sighed softly, and retreated backwards out of the room. About ten minutes later he returned to find the Yellow Dandelion looking out of the window. He wondered for a few moments whether he was doing right. The bodyguard had seemed so surprised. Oh well. He sighed again.
"The prisoner is in the back of the van. Mr. Smith," he said timidly. "I - "
"That's fine," said the Yellow Dandelion jovially, ·"I was just wondering if you knew the prisoner's name. For the receipt, you know. I'm afraid I have forgotten it."
"No, I'm afraid I don't," was the hesitating reply. "Perhaps the guard - ?"
"0h no, don't bother!" exclaimed 'Mr Smith,' "It will be just as legal. I've put a two penny stamp on it, so it should be perfectly all right."
He handed over the receipt. The Secretary took it as if it might bite, and read: 'Received of Baron .Balderdash One Prisoner (1 Prisoner) 8th May' and the year and signature in a broad scribble 'John Smith'. It seemed as well as could be expected. He escorted 'Mr Smith' down the steps, where, after a glance into the back to make sure that the prisoner was all right, he got into the driver's seat, and drove off. It was not until he was well outside the grounds, with the aid of his Revolutionary Pass which he had got with the aid of his other documents by the usual method of' asking at a police station, that he ventured to stop in a lonely lane, open the doors at the back, and ungag and untie the prisoner.. The bodyguard had certainly done their work thoroughly. He was alarmed to see the boy looking so pale and frankly scared stiff.
"My goodness, Your Majesty, you look ill."
"Oh, for goodness' sake stop that nonsense," said the King pettishly. "You know perfectly well I'm not the real King. Who are you, anyway?" he asked, looking slightly frightened.
"I'm the Yellow Dandelion. I rescued you from your dungeon, where Baron Balderdash was keeping you, about an hour ago."
"Oh wow!" said the boy. "Are you really the Yellow Dandelion? The man who saved all those people in Gugglia during the revolution?"
"Yes, a few," said the Yellow Dandelion modestly, "But we can talk of that later. Is Your Majesty hurt?"
"Why do you say Your Majesty?" asked the King, not answering the question, "You aren't a Revolutionary, are you?" The other shook his head violently, and the King's fear died away, "Well, whose side are you on, then? And what's happened to my Uncle?"
"Don't worry, he's quite safe. We're going to the place where he is at the moment. I'm on his side; and against the Baron and the others, and I am spending my time at the moment rescuing people who might get killed, including you. But are you safe? We were afraid the Baron might order you to be tortured to get you to sign things. And are you hungry? I brought some food in case you might be."
"I'm all right, they didn't touch me. But I certainly didn't get much to eat!"
'*Good, that's all right, then!" the Yellow Dandelion said with relief. "Come and sit in the front, and you. can eat while we drive. You needn't worry, no-one will recognise you – the Baron has made sure of that. You should have heard the trouble I had with your Uncle ....."
He went on explaining things to him. as they drove on through the night. At last they turned off the Riverside Road, and were scrunching their way up the drive in a blaze of headlights.
"Hullo! I wonder what is the matter?" exclaimed the Yellow Dandelion. as they came round the last bend. He looked at his watch as they came to a stop in front of the castle. It was a. quarter to twelve. Yet the door was wide open, every light in the place was lit, the curtains were undrawn, and people were rushing about in absolute confusion. Quangle came out on to the steps.
"Why, it's the Yellow Dandelion!" he gasped. "Just the man we want to see. His Majesty has disappeared, and we can't find him anywhere!"
REVOLUTION IN FLOPDOODLE
Chapter Ten
"Disappeared?" queried the Yellow Dandelion sharply, as he helped the new King of Flopdoodle out of the car and banged the door shut. "How?"
Quangle explained.
"Well," came the reply. "If I were you I would tell everyone to go to bed at once, and to stop behaving like a lot of wet hens in a. farmyard. We two can sort this out ourselves. And," he added, bringing forward the King, "I've brought you a visitor. See that the housekeeper makes him some supper. I don't think his previous host gave him very much to eat. Your Majesty, this is Quangle, lord of Dishwater and Earl of Fizzling Towers; Quangle, this is Richard V, King of Flopdoodle."
"Oh so it is. WHAT?" Quangle screamed, looking aghast. "Where did you get him?"
"Never mind that now!" commanded the busy Dandelion, "See my orders are carried out, that's all."
Quangle obeyed, too amazed to do anything else. The Yellow Dandelion strode into the Drawing Room and found Her Majesty sitting worrying on the sofa. The Prime Minister was trotting about murmuring ineffective nothings, the way they do.
"PLEASE, Your Majesty," said. the clever Dandelion, managing to make himself heard above the general uproar. This ceased at once. "It's perfectly all right " he went on soothingly; "I've dealt with secret passages for years, and I 've never found one yet that I couldn't deal with. We'll get His Majesty out in no time. But in the meantime you would be much better in bed and asleep, and then it would be much easier to organize a search."
Between him and Quangle the house was pacified in ten minutes, and when Quangle had explained that the house had been searched from top to bottom, and that His Majesty, as he was not in his room, or any of the usual rooms, must either have fallen into a secret one, or else be still in the passages somewhere. Quangle had got hold of a powerful electric lantern from the stables, and this the Yellow Dandelion declared ideal for such a hunt. They went upstairs to the Coin Room. and when the mechanism had been explained, went into the short corridor one after the other, the Yellow Dandelion taking the lead. They went down on to the landing where His Majesty had apparently disappeared. Again they tapped the walls and floor to see if they rang hollow, they felt the walls and pressed them in various places. Nothing happened. Then the Yellow Dandelion squeezed past and Quangle led the way down the stone stairs.
"Show me now exactly how it happened," said the Yellow Dandelion, "I'll take the place of His Majesty. You were in front, weren't you, and about a metre and a half ahead?" They began to climb the steps again. "That's right!"
Quangle stepped cautiously while he could hear the other breathing heavily behind him on the stairs.
"Then, when I reached the landing, I turned. round," he explained, as he reached the top step, end stepped on the landing, "And he had just vanished!" He looked round triumphantly. The Yellow Dandelion had gone!
Quangle gave a muffled groan and slumped on the floor in a dead faint.
He was unconscious for some time, and when he finally came round, he could not remember how he came to be there. He just managed to struggle to his feet, an
d to make his trembling way out of that place of mystery. The chill air of the Coin Room revived him somewhat -- but he still felt so weak that he could only totter along to his bedroom where he lay down fully clothed on top of the bed and was soon fast asleep..
**********
The brilliant morning sun poured into Quangle's room as Simons drew back the curtains with his usual flourish and swish of curtain rings. He was very astonished to perceive for 'the first time that his master was on the bed instead of in it, and somewhat alarmed to see his deathly pallor. However, before he could take a. step forward, Quangle opened his eyes with a start, sat up, blinking in the full light of the day, and said something which nearly made the butler fall over backwards,
"Gone! Vanished! Disappeared!"
"I beg your pardon,'" said Simons, much startled.
"I do feel sick!" said Quangle, '"Run my bath for me, there's a good fellow." He, fell back on the pillow. "'Oh my head!"
"What's happened to Your Lordship? Shall I send for a doctor?"
"By no means,'· answered Quangle, sitting up again so suddenly that the butler jumped. "Simons, the Yellow Dandelion Will Not Be Down For Breakfast."
The butler was now quite convinced that Quangle was mad.
"No, no, of course not..." said he nervously, edging his way crabwise to the door.
"He's gone after His Majesty."
"Quite!" An idea struck the butler. "When will he be back?" he asked.
"He won't," said. Quangle carelessly. "Didn't I tell you? he has gone! vanished! disappeared! How's Her Majesty?"
"Is Your Lordship feeling quite, quite well?"
"I'm not insane, if that's what you mean," cried Quangle with a sudden gust of annoyance. "Listen!" he said more quietly and swinging his feet on to the floor, "I was exploring the secret passage with the Yellow Dandelion - that is the nickname of the man who arrived here late last night. and we were reconstructing the way in which His Majesty vanished, when he suddenly vanished too. Goodness only knows what's. happened to them. But don't tell anyone; I don't want the whole house alarmed!"
"Of course ," agreed the butler, understanding at last a little of what had been going on, "A very upsetting experience if I may say so, Your Lordship."
"It was!" said Quangle with feeling, "l think I was unconscious for a bit. I need to think. And I could do with that bath!"
Simons. went out. closing the door softly behind him. Quangle stood up with a groan and went along to the bathroom, which he had had considerably enlarged, and now held a large pool sunk, like a Roman bath, in the floor. He much preferred this to the usual sort of bath, even when it had as many taps as that of His Majesty. He found his mind always worked best in his bath, and he turned over the problem carefully to try to find a way of finding the missing pair. He was just reaching forward for his loofah when he hit on a .brilliant scheme. He considered it; it seemed flawless . Well, fairly flawless.
He went downstairs to breakfast whistling merrily the "Overture to Harry Speke" - a jolly piece, named after the celebrated Nigglian hero who had been threatened with death unless he shot a potato off the head of his son. It starts with a long trumpet call. Only the King was there before him, deeply engaged in a heroic struggle with a large plate of bacon and eggs. These did not stand a chance. He swept the diminutive monarch a low bow, and took his seat. As usual, a plate of porridge appeared as if by magic.
"You look surprisingly cheerful," said the King, passing him the milk. "Have you. found my Uncle yet?"
"Not yet, Your Majesty," replied Quangle, "but I think I can get him after breakfast. Would you like to help?"
"Oh yes," Richard said excitedly. "What will I have to do?"
"Well. it may take several people as well," Quangle explained, "so I'll tell you all about It as soon as I have finished breakfast. I'll really have to show you, in fact."
There was silence for several minutes. Quangle's porridge plate disappeared. and in its place was a plate of bacon and eggs.
Richard giggled.
"It really is very funny to have a lot of people calling you "Your Majesty" and hurrying about doing things for you. They all look so solemn and serious. I don't mean that horrid Baron Balderdash. He didn't mean it at all and always seemed to be smiling to himself about something nasty he was going to do to someone. But this is different."
In spite of himself, Quangle had to smile .
"Well it's very good of you to say so. I expect you could get used to it after a bit. Your Uncle did - until this Revolution came"
"It wasn't my fault of course!" said Richard apologetically. "My aunt, the Grand Duchess of Upper Gargling, thought that they would make me King. But they wanted me to have Uncle executed. They said they would give me all sorts of things for my birthday and let me do anything I wanted, and all sorts of things if I helped them. And then when I wouldn't , the Baron came along one night and put me in a cold dungeon. and wouldn't give me enough to eat. He said I wouldn't get out if I wasn't good. But they didn't want me to be really good, did, they? It wouldn't be good to have Uncle executed."
Quangle looked at him thoughtfully. He seemed to have changed a lot since he last met him. Perhaps there was something to be said for keeping small boys in dungeons. "No," he said carefully.
"l asked the Yellow Dandelion - where is he, by the way? I haven't seen him this morning."
"He's with your Uncle, as far as I know," replied Quangle, laying down his knife and fork and picking up his cup of coffee .
"He's great.. He got me out of that horrid dungeon."
"He likes doing that sort of' thing," said Quangle, changing the subject
"Richard, the Yellow Dandelion tells me you have a birthday coming up. When is it?"
"May the twelfth," the King replied, "Why?"
"Oh, I just wondered," said Quangle airily. "What did you want for it?"
"A new bicycle, mostly. My old one's much too small."
"That's a good idea," said Quangle. "Well, come on now, Your Majesty. I expect the Prime Minister will be in the Drawing Room, and I've got to tell him how to get-hold of your Uncle. Just a moment," he said, turning to one of' the footmen, who was forced to uncurl himself from his deep bow. "Could you get ,me a large coil of rope - say about a hundred feet should be enough?"
"Certainly, Your Lordship," said the footman.
"Take it up to my Coin Room, please."
"Immediately, Your Lordship ."
"Thank you. This way, Your Majesty,"
The Prime Minister was lying on his back on the sofa. and listening to a. pop song oozing from Quangle's radio. He was, after all, a man of the people. His face went dark red, as he jumped up and bowed low to King Richard.
"Hullo," said the King.
"Good morning, Your Majesty." replied the Prime Minister.
"I've been thinking over the problem of His Majesty's disappearance," explained Quangle. "By the way, the Yellow Dandelion has gone too.. We were exploring the passage last night. and I expect that it was the same thing happened to him. We were reconstructing how it happened the first time. He disappeared in exactly the same way. That's what gave me the clue."
"Good Heavens!" , exclaimed the Prime Minister. "The Yellow Dandelion gone too? What on earth is going on?"
"That's just the trouble. I don't know for sure," he said sadly and turning to Richard, who was looking both surprised and worried, "That's why I need all of you. I hope Your Majesty understands: His ... I mean, your Uncle and I were exploring a. secret passage in case we might need it to escape when revolutionaries came. I was in front, and when I turned round to speak to him, he had vanished.. The Yellow Dandelion and I thought that there was probably some sort of trapdoor in the floor, so we tried last night going up the passage in the same way, and this time the Yellow Dandelion was at the back. and he vanished. You see?" He turned to the Prime Minister again, ''Now I don't know yet how people come to vanish from that passage - I think it's some sort of trapdoor· though -
but I do know, that if two people walk up that passage. then the one at the back disappears.. Well, I'm going to walk up that passage with someone now; but this time I'll be at the back, and I, presumably, will fall through this trapdoor, if it is a trapdoor, and disappear too . Only I shall have myself tied to a rope, and then, if the trapdoor can be held open, perhaps by Richard here, you can haul us all up again. I've already asked for a. rope and got a pretty long one just to make sure. But I should be all right provided you hold on to me and don't let me fall too far at first."
"Secret passages!" said the young King, his eyes shining, "Ooh, lovely Are we really going into one?"
"Of course we are. Shall we go now?"
The Prime Minister looked worried. "We'll have to be very careful," he said, and Quangle halted suddenly on the threshold as they were going out of' the room. Her Majesty had arrived on the scene. So they quickly explained the latest situation to her and she immediately insisted she come and help. Meanwhile the Prime Minister had helpfully suggested that they should tell the butler so that he knew where they were.
"Well, we'll want him in any case to help take the strain on the rope," said Quangle, pulling the bell-rope smartly, Simons appeared almost immediately. He was carrying a crowbar and pickaxe.
"Your Lordship rang?"
"Indeed I did," Quangle replied, and while they climbed the staircase Quangle explained his plan to the butler. They agreed that they could at least try it. The coil of rope was waiting for them, and Quangle picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. He handed round the torches that had been provided, got into the cupboard, and opened the panel. Then the Prime Minister got in and brought Richard through with him. Her Majesty followed. Lastly Simons got through quite easily, though his tail coat nearly got stuck in the door. Quangle went right down to the bottom of the steps of stone, and not until he was there did he let the Prime Minister come too. Swiftly he knotted the rope round his waist and the Prime Minister took the coil back to Simons, who tied the other end firmly round his own. The coil was laid on the floor, so that it could run out freely without tangling, and the other took up their positions beside it.
"Remember the crowbar and pickaxe!" called Quangle from his position at the foot of the stone steps. His voice echoed strangely in the cramped space.