Free The Secret Invasion of Port Isabel by Mark Douglas Stafford Page A

said a surprised Flossy.
    ‘You see, I
told you she wore her sword to the side,’ said one of the sheep.
‘Baaa-aaa. Sword to the side, sword to the side,’ bleated the
others.
    They were all
of them, without question, sheep. They weren’t pirates dressed as
sheep. They were sheep dressed as pirates. She hadn’t landed on a
pack of dogs but a flock of sheep dressed in poor fitting pirate
clothes.
    When Reginald
arrived he was chuckling. Flossy was sitting on a low wall with her
head in her hands. The sheep faced her and were busy discussing her
clothes and arranging their own. The sheep who wore a wooden sword
now wore it to the side, just like she did.
    Reginald
handed Flossy her wet jacket. ‘Were these the pirates you saw near
Town Square?’ he asked.
    ‘They must
have been. I’m so sorry I’ve caused everyone so much trouble.’
    ‘Oh, that’s
okay. I like the rain and I’ve enjoyed showing you around town and
getting to know you. Besides, in these kind of matters it’s better
to be safe than sorry.’
    Flossy stood
and squeezed into her wet jacket.
    ‘Look at the
silver buttons!’ said one of the sheep with round eyes. ‘Where can
we get a jacket like that?’ The other jostled to see. ‘The buttons,
the buttons, baaa-aaa!’ they chorused.
    ‘Is that a
real pirate belt?’ another asked eagerly, as it examined the belt
holding up the sailor’s pants she had trimmed with lace. ‘The belt,
the belt!’ bleated the others.
    Flossy
adjusted her belt—actually a piece of rope she’d borrowed from the Interloper . With all the activity over the past few
days, and her irregular eating, she had already lost weight. She
would need to watch that.
    ‘Your first
ever fans,’ said Reginald, laughing warmly.
    ‘But why would
they want to dress like me?’
    ‘There’s no
accounting for good taste,’ said Reginald, a twinkle in his
eye.
    ‘Thanks a lot,
Reginald. You really are the master diplomat.’
    Reginald
followed Flossy past the rubble piles and back onto the road.
     
    CHAPTER
10

    ISCARIOT SNAKE
     
    Flossy walked in the
rain beside her big friend. ‘I suppose there’s little point in
searching further,’ she said, sighing.
    ‘No, I don’t
think so,’ said Reginald. ‘And it’s time to return anyway. The
others are probably polishing off their third hot chocolates and
warming their paws, claws and hoofs by the fire at the café.’
    ‘Well, let’s
head back then. I could use another hot chocolate and the fire may
save my life.’ Flossy shivered. Her bare feet were ice blocks. ‘Now
that we know the mysterious sheep-dog pirates are actually just
plain-old sheep, all I have to do is apologise to the others for
leading them on a wild goose chase.’
    ‘Oh, Harry and
the others will be quick to forgive, I believe. You’ll probably
have to give up a marshmallow again, in recompense, and that will
be that.’
    ‘A small
price, though,’ said Flossy, smiling grimly. ‘On second thoughts,
they were good, weren’t they!’
    A family of
creamy-white llamas moved to one side of the road, the parents
keeping their heads down as they passed. The three youngsters
watched Flossy with bright, wide eyes. She smiled and waved
good-naturedly. The parents, who had long necks and fluffy grey
ears on top of their small dark heads, ushered their youngsters on
without making eye contact with Flossy.
    ‘Everyone’s
still a little shaken after last night,’ said Reginald, glancing
back at the llamas. ‘And you’re an unknown quantity; someone
connected with danger. Humans haven’t been seen in this part of the
world in living memory. All they have to go on is legend, and that
unfairly portrays humans as little more than wild animals, smarter
than most, with a penchant for violence.’
    ‘The pirate
clothes probably don’t help either,’ said Flossy. She straightened
her sodden jacket and fluffed her flat hair.
    They came to a
wide intersection of five roads and Flossy paused to let