| “Yeah. So far the closest thing it has led us to besides a lot of plants, is a black box no bigger than a can of soup and half as thick.” Buzzy said, walking up from behind the other two. “That’s it!” The leprechaun said. “You found it!” Buzzy stammered. “Well, I uh, before .. I saw it but … it wasn’t gold. It wasn’t even a pot.” Anna said, “Wait a minute.” She looked at the leprechaun. “What do you mean you found it? Obviously he did not find any gold.” “Aye lassy, this isn’t the nineteen hundreds any more. I have all my gold in bitcoin. That was my wallet you found. Or rather, didn’t find. Now where do you think it was that you didn’t find it?” The little red-haired leprechaun dressed in the green suit and green bowler’s hat, asked. Anna said, “You had all your gold turned into bitcoin?” “Sure. It’s much more stable than most currencies. And it can be used in both worlds, Magicland and the real world. Try doing that with Canadian coins.” The leprechaun said. Splash gave Anna a look that said, ‘hard to argue with that’. “Hey! Come back here with that!” Buzzy hollered. Everyone looked up just in time to see a big, fat snow goose wearing the Geese Police uniform, take off into the sky. “He’s got the bitcoin wallet!” Buzzy exclaimed. Before any of the group could act, the big snow goose was mixed in with his other members of the Geese Police who were all flying away from the battle with the royal air force. “Looks like we are not through after all.” Anna said with a sigh. Then she looked at Splash and said, “Large up, big boy!” Splash, who had made himself his usual small size, enlarged to a size that would allow Anna to ride without risk of falling off. “We’ll keep tabs of the flock.” She pointed up at the retreating Geese Police. “You guys can go back to the castle and get some rest and organize supplies. We might be away from the castle for an extended period of time. Mostly depending on whether we can locate that one fat snow goose among a lot of fat snow geese.” “So you want us to rest up, supply up, then head out and find you and Splash?” Dan asked. He had a pained look on his face. “Something the matter?” Anna asked him. “Just my feet. Kinda sore.” He gave Buzzy a sideways glare Buzzy took off to get a running take-off. He was overheard saying part of a sentence. “Kinda sore. Kinda sore in the head if you ask ..’ Back on the ground, Dan gave Anna a roll of his eyes. “I could be floating in a nice lake right now you know.” “But the kingdom would surely grind to a sudden halt.” Anna replied with a smile. “You know we can’t go two days without a dam duck.” “True. That’s very true. Thank you princess. You know its all that time I spend with Buzzy. It effects the mind as well as the body.” He said matter-of-factly. “But anything for the realm.” Then he took off running-hopping, saying something under his breath which Anna was pretty sure had to do with Buzzy and leaving him plucked of all feathers tied to a post inside a dog kennel. “Good luck!” Anna said after him. Dan had taken off and was gaining altitude. A few feathers fell back down to the earth from where he took off. They slowly danced their way back down to the earth while Dan grew ever smaller as he headed toward the castle. “Well my little blue friend. Now that you’re not so little, I guess we can get going. Any ideas on how to spot a fat, snow goose hiding among a lot more fat snow geese?” She patted the little blue pony on the neck and swung onto his back. Anna smiled and said, “Lets go get ’em.” They two friends took off into the blue of the sky and headed in the direction all the Geese Police had flown. —————- Chapter ————————— Anybody who has ever spent an evening late in the summer out in the country has felt the warm, safe, secure feeling that the warm breeze gives you while watching the sun set in the west. Anna and Splash enjoyed such an experience as they lazily skipped their way across the horizon, keeping an eye on everything below in hopes of spotting that one fat snow goose that had the bitcoin wallet that he stole from the leprechaun. “There!” Anna cried, pointing to a clearing which had a gathering of what looked like either short people or kids, and they were all dressed up like Dracula. There was a large dog with them. They were meeting with a fat snow goose. Anna felt certain it was the one they were trying to locate. The short people were in a circle around the snow goose. Too far away to hear what was being said, the view told a story that the snow goose was being bullied. Anna figured they wanted the bitcoin wallet. She and SPlash watched as the little people kept pushing the fat snow goose back and forth around the circle they had created. Small down feathers had begun to float in the air around the circle of height-challenged bullies. “Splash, use your magic to amplify what is being said down there.” Anna ordered. “Maybe we can find out what is so important beyond taking the wallet?” The conversation from the circle of bullies suddenly became audible. “What is the code to open the wallet, Geese Police?” “Talk or we’ll pluck you until all that is left is enough feathers for the coyote that finds you to know what it is he’s eating.” Said the Dracula who seemed to be in charge. “I don’t know it!” The Geese Police member said. “I never knew it. I just got my hands on the thing a few minutes ago.” “A few minutes ago you weren’t caught by us! You better come up with that secret password or you’re coyote bait for sure.” “Maybe he is telling the truth.” Said another of the mini-draculas. The big dog-looking creature that was standing on two feet began to growl at the snow goose. “He’ll eat you himself, goose. Tell us what the password is or we’ll give him the ketchup necessary to get a tough, nasty-tasting bird like you to go down.” Said another mini-dracula. Anna thought she had heard enough. Apparently though they had the bitcoin wallet, they did not have the password which was necessary to get to the funds inside. She wondered how those little draculas knew that the bitcoin wallet existed? It was one thing to know about the legend of the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, but this was cutting-edge stuff. How would they know about it? At that time the sky began to darken. Quickly Splash and Anna flew over and landed in an area where there was enough trees to hide them from the horde of Geese Police that were flying in. “They must have had reinforcements on the way here even before the battle.” Anna said. Splash whinnied in response. “We’ll not get the chance to see what happened to the snow goose.” Anna said, patting her pony on the neck. “It is a good guess however that the incoming Geese Police were able to save the one surrounded by the bullies. Lets walk over the direction where they had the snow goose in their circle. Who knows? Maybe they were not spotted by the squad of flyers overhead. Maybe we can sneak in there and grab the wallet and get away before anybody spots us.” Splash gave her a nod/nudge with his head. The two had went about half the distance they needed to cover when they were suddenly surprised by Anna’s leprechaun. “G’day lassy.” He said, while taking off his green bowler’s hat and then he bowed. “Fancy meeting the two of you out here.” “Just doing what you asked.” Anna replied. “Oh lassy, things have went a wee bit further than that. Aven’t they?” He leaned in a bit toward Anna, perhaps so she wouldn’t have to talk so loud she might be heard by the ones they were trying to spy on. “Yes, I suppose they have.” Anna replied. “We bit indeed. I can’t help wondering if they had been able to find the end of the rainbow if you all weren’t also searching for it? Maybe they followed your lead and then sent in a whole flock of attackers which resulted in one of them finding my wallet. Do you think it might have happened that way? little lass.” “Okay, perhaps it did. But we will get it back. Don’t give up hope.” Anna said. “Never! Of course I have hope. I have high hopes. I just wanted to let you know there was help around if you need it. I suppose you have things under control so I will leave you for now.” The leprechaun said, and then he was gone. Anna gave Splash a look, then the two continued their sneaking through the landscape to get closer to where the bullies had the snow goose with their bitcoin wallet. When they got within earshot they realized things had changed drastically. Now the Geese Police had the little draculas and the big dog as prisoners. They were currently being questioned by the Geese Police commander who wanted to know the password to the wallet. “Commander! They do not know the password. They were trying to make me tell them what it is, so obviously they cannot help.” The snow goose that had the bitcoin wallet said. “Someone knows it!” The commander bellowed. “Find the leprechaun! He will know the password. We can make him talk!” Several of the Geese Police left the area, taking flight. Anna assumed they were going to fly around the area in search of the leprechaun and if they found him … make him talk. “Stay here while I sneak up closer and see what they are doing with the little people. If we can get one of them away, maybe they can help us find the wallet. One of those who are questioning the little draculas, probably has the wallet. We just need to find out which one?” Splash gave a nod of his head instead of a whinny. Anna slipped away toward where the little monsters were being held. They were being watched by two Geese Police guards with the commander and several more just a few feet away. The commander was telling his birds that they had to wait while the password was figured out, or told, and then they were going to go somewhere toward the south, to meet up with more of their kind. Anna thought to herself that they needed to get the wallet back before they met up with more of them in the south. Who were the little people? Were they teamed up with the Geese Police or were they on opposite sides? They seemed to be getting treated like prisoners but she knew they must have been suppose to meet the Geese Police or else it was one heck of a coincidence. Perhaps there was a betrayal involved? Whatever the case, it now appeared as if the little monsters were prisoners of the Geese Police. Anna returned to where Splash was waiting. She told him, “If you can be kind enough to knock out the two guards we can free the little monsters. Hopefully they can tell us which one of the Geese Police has the wallet? Splash gave a nod. ———————– Chapter ————————– Back at the Castle Candi, the royal air force was returning. The sky overhead was darkened with the many flying birds which were going into a holding pattern over the castle while they waited their turn to land. Buzzy and Dan flew in under the squads and landed without any trouble. “Let’s get us some dinner and drinks.” Buzzy said to Dan, giving him a slap on the back. Dust came up in a cloud. “Er, maybe we should hit the showers first.” “I am a disgrace to dam ducks everywhere. Just look at me! Covered in dust and dirt. Why, I haven’t been floating in a lake in so long I’ve forgotten how to land on the water. In fact I may not remember how to swim. How would that look? Headlines read: Dam duck dies drowning due to being dumb. Or maybe it would read: Dumb dam duck dies drowning. No, better yet, more to the point: Dumb dam duck dead due to drowning. That’s the one. Dumb dam duck drowns dead. Yes, even better. But you know what, I guess it is obvious he’s dumb, because he’s dead. So lets go with: Dam duck drowns dead.” “Couldn’t you just say, Dam duck’s drowned?” Buzzy asked. “Who’s the expert in language here? The learnered dam duck, or the beer-belching buzzard? Now stop arguing with me.” Dan said. “Okay, okay. You’re a dumb dam duck. I won’t argue that fact ever again.” Buzzy promised. “That’s better.” Dan said. Then he stopped and thought about it for a second. “Hey, wait a minute.” He thought for a few more seconds and said, “I believe it was Mark Twain who said, never argue with an idiot because they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience.” “Who’s Mark Twain? Is that the smart-mouthed owl in the night squad? I’ll have you know I have much more experience than that big-mouthed owl.” Buzzy exclaimed. “No arguement there.” Dan said, sighing again. “Why don’t you just get some rest?” “Right after we grab something to eat!” Buzzy replied. Two hours later Buzzy was getting a knock on his door. “Hey! You’ve had a bite and a nap. Time to get back out there and help the princess.” Dan said. Next Page |    |