Friday 12th November
"Whats wrong ?" I asked
He looked at me for a moment, I got the impression he wasnt sure whether he was going to tell me or not.
"Sammy, this is a very dark and unhappy time for me and my people. We are under threat like never before" He frowned and shook his head as he said it.
I didn't speak I just stood there looking at the King, a man full of hope last night, now a man who looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
"Sammy, I need your help" he placed a hand on my shoulder and looked me straight in the eye.
"Of course whatever I can do" I wasn't quite sure what that was at the moment but I would do my best.
"Good" He smiled a little. "We cant talk here I don't know who is listening, I need you to get the others and meet me here in two days" He handed me a note. "You must not tell anyone apart from your friends about this. Do you understand?"
I nodded
"Very well. Gather them all and meet me there in two days. There are things I need to do first." He walked towards the door and opened it ready for me too leave. As I walked through the door the King spoke only once more.
"Sammy, Thank you. Frank said you were a good person and I'm glad I trusted him" He smiled once again as he said it.
I didn't know it but it would be the last time I would see the King alive.
Saturday 13th November
We packed bags for most of the day and discussed what could possibly be worrying the King so much.. I wasn't sure but I knew we had too help. Kai was a little unsure about what we were doing but I had managed too talk him round in the end. I had the letter that the king had given me in my hand. Id read it out to the others the night before and they had all agreed, if some of them reluctantly, to help the King.
Dear Sammy and friends
There is a threat to the people of this town, greater than we have ever faced before. We are peaceful Penguins who go about our business and work hard at what we do. We do not go looking for trouble and welcome all those that come across us with kindness and warmth. Unfortunately a few days before you arrived a man came here asking for my help. I listened and after much thought decided it wasn't something I could do. When I met this man and told him he said that I would pay a heavy price and swore revenge on me and my people. Sammy he came to see me after you left the night before last and told me what he planned to do. I couldn't stop him leaving and knew that if I warned my people it would ruin everything that we had built. That's why Sammy you are my only hope of stopping him. I will meet you by the biggest mountain with the snow at the top to the east of the town. You will know you are at the right one when you stand at the top and you can see the roof of my palace from the very top. Until then be safe and thank you once again.
The King Of The Penguins
Who was this man? What had he threatened the King with? I had to help anyway I could.
Sunday 14th November
We arrived at the foot of the mountain just as the sun started too rise. The sky was a deep red with flecks of orange and yellow streaking across the clear sky. It wasn't as cold as it had been the days before. We looked at the mountain in front of us and wasn't sure what we were going to do next.
"Do you want us too fly you up to the top?" Kai asked
"No, I think it would be better if we climbed" I replied
"You surely cant mean all of us?" Tommy asked nervously
"Not the Dragons, just you, me and Jack and don't call me Shirley" I smiled as I said it Dad mentioned that line all the time and it always made him laugh.
"Well that's all right then" smiled Jack
"Okay Sammy I'm sure you know what you are doing" Kai looked at the other Dragons who just smiled at each other, I don't think they had the greatest confidence in us to be honest.
"Right then off we go" I said placing my hands on the cold rock in front of me.
I started too climb slowly, placing my hands just above my head and then placing my feet on the bits that stuck out and pulling myself up. This was going to be a slow process.
We climbed for about two hours. It was hard work and a very slow process. My hands had started to feel very cold and sore and my arms ached. This was the way it had to be done though. Flying up to the top with the Dragons would have been easier but also would have drawn a lot of attention to us which I didn't want or need. As we got closer and closer to the top I could hear voices at the top talking. I was surprised by this as I was sure the King was coming on his own. I tried to climb faster and strained too hear what was being said. My hands were so cold I thought that I couldn't climb any faster than I was. There was a ridge just below the top and I aimed for that. I reached the ridge and decided to listen as best as I could.
"So you told him did you?"
"Yes"
"What do you expect the boy to do? Save you?"
"Yes, you underestimate him"
"I know all about Sammy and his stupid friends, I'm not worried about them at all. Did you do as I asked?"
"No, I told you there was no way I would agree with you"
"Then you leave me no choice"
"What are you going to do? Kill me?"
"Unfortunately yes, you leave me no choice"
A shot rang out, I was so shocked I nearly lost my grip. I looked down at Tommy and Jack beside me on the ridge and they were both staring back at me a look of total shock on their faces. We hung there frozen to the rock for what felt like hours but was probably only seconds. I moved first and moved quickly covering the last few meters of mountain as quickly as I could. I pulled myself over the top of the ridge and scrambled too my feet in the snow. There in front of my laying face down in the snow was the body of the Penguin King dead.
Monday 15th November
We sat at the top of the mountain for most of the day. Not sure what we were going to do. How did we tell the Queen that the King was dead? How did we tell the people that had taken us in and shown us such great comfort and warmth that their King wasn't coming back?. Not only that but what did we do about the body? We were kids we didn't know about these things. Jack and Tommy tried their best too help but none of us could think about what to do. We needed our parents more than at any other time since we had been parted from them, but they weren't here and we had to be grown up about it. We decided too bury the King under the snow and make our way back to the house. Lis was going too fly back to Ireland and tell Frank what had happened and we agreed too wait until he returned before we did anything else. Frank would know what to do we were sure of it.
Tuesday 16th November
We stayed in doors all day today. None of us wanted to go outside. We sat around by the fire trying too keep warm and me and Tommy told Jack stories about us growing up to pass the time. Lis had been gone almost a day now, Kai had told us not to worry but it was difficult with what we had found at the top of the mountain. Who had killed the King and more importantly why? I knew we had to solve this but I couldn't do this on my own, I needed Franks help.
Wednesday 17th November
There was a knock at the door early this morning. I nervously made my way towards it. Kai had said he would warn us when Lis was about too return with Frank but we hadn't heard anything so far so I wasn't sure who this could be.
Knock, Knock,Knock, they were coming faster and faster, harder and harder. I hesitated for a second in front of the closed door, I felt safe in here and whatever or whoever was trying to get in wasn't going to wait very much longer for me to answer the door. Slowly I turned the handle and pulled the door slightly open.
"Sammy? Is that you? Its me Paul. I need to talk to you"
I opened the door a little wider and looked at Paul standing there in front of me in his top hat and bow tie.
"Sammy, its okay I just need too ask you something"
I nodded and let him in.
"Thank you" he said as he walked into the hallway.
"Sammy when you met with the King the other day did he say anything about leaving the town for a while?" He looked at me in way that I thought was strange
"No" I replied
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" I replied
"He's gone Sammy, and no one knows where. The Queen is very worried about him, as you were the last person to talk too him I or should I say we, wondered if he told you anything" He looked me straight in the face, the way my Dad does when he is trying to see if I'm lying.
"No he didn't mention anything he just said that he had something to tell me but he would tell me later" I tried my hardest to keep my face straight
"Okay then, its just unusual for him to be away for more than a few hours without telling anyone where he is going" He turned and started too walk towards the door. As he placed his hand on the handle he turned once again and looked me straight in the eye "If you do know something you would tell me wouldn't you?"
"Of course" I replied trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice something about the way he was asking me made me feel very uneasy.
"Very well. Goodbye Sammy I hope to see you in town shortly, the Queen would like to see you for dinner this evening"
"Errr yes, yes of course" I stammered
"Excellent, I shall tell her you accepted" With a pull of the door he was gone closing the door behind him.
Something about that conversation made me feel very nervous, was it Paul I had heard up there with the King? The voices had been so faint it was difficult to be sure, but I was certain that Paul knew more than he was letting on, I just had too prove it. I decided as well that going too dinner with the Queen would be a bad idea. There was too much I was unsure of to go and have dinner with the person who's husband I had just seen and heard killed.
Thursday 18th November
I could feel hands pulling and grabbing me. I thought I was dreaming at first but then suddenly realised that I wasn't. I opened my eyes and there before me stood the guards from the Kings Palace we had seen the first time we had been taken to the Palace. I was dragged out of my bed and taken downstairs where Tommy and Jack were sitting on the floor, their hands tied behind their backs and their legs crossed sitting on the floor. I was pushed down beside them. We sat there staring at each other not sure what was going on.
"Gentleman" a voice came from the hallway "Do you have them?"
"Yes" came the reply
"Excellent then I shall do the rest" Paul said as he entered the room. He didn't look friendly at all and a very serious look was spread across his face.
"Sammy, Tommy and Jack. I am hereby arresting you for the murder of the King. You will stand trail and if found guilty your punishment will be as severe as the crime you have committed." He turned to the Guard he had spoken to earlier.
"Take them away"
"Yes Sir"
I started to speak but the words wouldn't come out as I was pulled up from the floor and pushed towards the front door. I wanted too scream out loud that we hadn't killed the king but the words wouldn't come out. What were we going to do now?
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