Green and Pleasant Land

It took most of the rest of the day to get ready - the monks insisted on packing them up with rations and warm blankets - "We don't need them!" Larry said, "A bit of suffering is good for the soul - but we couldn't bear the thought of you going cold!"

Gorden suspected that "you" meant Cola rather than all of them. But he didn't care - there were blankets enough for all.

It was late afternoon when they assembled to leave the monastery. To Gorden's surprise Nora was with them.

"I'll travel with you until tonight," She explained, "Then I'll be off in my own direction. I can't travel too fast during the light - too many others in the air you see."

"Okay," Gorden said, "We don't mind."

"But she's a nutter." David said quietly, Gorden kicked him gently in the shin.

"Batty anyway." David said under his breath.

As they got ready to leave bud came up to them and grabbed Gorden's front paws in his.

"Good luck, Good Sir!" He said, "On behalf of our order I must offer you best wishes and the fervent hope of success in your quest."

Bud let go of Gorden's paws and patted him on the back.

"Good luck to you all and God Speed!"

The assembled monks cheered and the five questors padded, floated and flapped their way eastwards.

"Now," Thought Gorden, "How the hell am I going to read this note the Abbot gave me?" In his hands was a small piece of paper that Bud had surreptitiously given him as he left. "He obviously didn't want anyone else to read it or he'd have given it to me earlier." His thoughts were interrupted by David

"Couldn't they have given us lighter food and blankets - this pack weighs a ton!"

"That's out David." Gorden thought as they padded on.

They walked on through the woods surrounding the monastery for three or four hours - until twilight had settled in for the night. Plessey picked a comfortable tree to sleep against and Cola prepared a small supper of diced carrots.

"We're far from home." Gorden said as popped the last carrot in his mouth.

"I've never heard of anyone who travelled so far!" David said "We must be two or three days journey from the burrows!"

"Ache!" Nora spat, "I've been further than this in one night." Then she lowered her voice, "But never in this direction! You should be on the lookout for strange creatures. Doesn't worry me, of course, I'm off." She pointed "Thataway very soon."

"Should we post a watch?" Gorden asked.

"Bit of an expensive way to tell someone the time.." David said.

"Any more jokes like that and I'll stop calling you Joker." Plessey said. "But Gorden's idea is a good one. There's four of us so if we split the watch evenly we'll all get a good nights sleep."

"Me First!" David jumped in, "Before it gets too dark." He explained.

Cola giggled.

"I'll go second." Plessey said.

"Me third." Gorden said.

"Well," Cola said, "I suppose I'm last."

"Nora?" David asked, "Would you keep me company for a bit - before you fly off that is?"

"Of course, young laddie."

They all chatted for a bit and then slid off to sleep. David and Nora talked further.

Plessey awoke to the sound of David tramping back to the camp-site - If he'd worn trousers, David would have been zipping them up and shaking the drips off his ankle.

As it was he just shook the drips off his ankle.

"Nora gone?" Plessey asked. David nodded. "Off you go sleeping now."

Plessey shook Gorden.

"No! Mrs Wilberforce! Not the jelly!" Gorden's eyes shot open, his face cracked with a sigh of relief, "Ah! No sherbet dabs!"

"Gorden," Plessey said calmly, "Your watch." Gorden shook his head to clear the cobwebs out. He sat up.

"Good," Plessey said, then "*Snore*" He was a quick sleeper.

Gorden sat, looking at Cola, smiling.

Gorden was still watching Cola as the sun rose. He started realising how light it was and pulled out the piece of paper that the abbot had slipped him

He stared at it. He knew a couple of words. It started with his name "Gorden" However most of the note was in little letters and he didn't know many of those.

That word might be "David".

That word might be "Cola".

He shook his head - he was either going to have to learn to read or to, he shuddered over the thought, trust one of his friends.

When had he stopped trusting them?

And so the seeds of paranoia were sown.

Plessey shook Cola awake. "Gorden daren't tell you he took your watch." He whispered, "If you don't make a scene about it I'm sure we'll be able to get him back one night." He conspired.

The next few nights turned into a competition to see who could sit the most watches. No one won really.

Every time Gorden has the last watch he'd pull the scrap of paper out and stare at the spider-crawl of Bud's handwriting, as if he could learn to read just by staring at the same few sentences over and over again. Not surprisingly he became more and more irate every time he tried to decipher the script. He soon stopped looking at it.

One day, about midday, they found themselves at the edge of the woods. Below them a verdant valley lay and a rumbling river ran. On the slopes the sight of a hundred rabbits could be seen!

Cola yelped with delight. Gorden breathed a huge sigh - Civilisation again!

The four questors raced down the hill to the nearest conies. One of the conies below saw their descent and hopped uphill to meet them.

"Greetings Strangers!" He said as he reached Gorden and Cola (who were at the front) "Welcome to the Chiltern Coney Commune!"

Gorden smiled wide.

"Your valley - it's beautiful!" He grinned.

"It's gorgeous!" Cola joined in, excited.

"Thank you," The rabbit said, "If you will just wait whilst I check on my workgroup, I'll escort you to the Committee."

"Committee?" Cola whispered to Gorden who shook his head and smiled back at her.

"Well, I suppose it look alright." David said.

"Does it?" Asked Plessey. David shrugged. Cola and Gorden tripped off down the hill. Phrases like "Beautiful" and "Wonderful" floated from the two speeding rabbits back to the trailing duo.

David caught some of their excitement and began to sing.

"Dic a de da da da do do,

De ba do do do"

<Camera draws back to show a hundred rabbits working in the fields surrounding the burrows - the large opening to the warren is centred on the screen, like a deep black hole. Guards stand each side of the burrow. The four friends are tripping merrily down to the hole. The camera draws back to the edge of the woods and moves back to sit on the shoulder of a rabbit whom is watching the scene below. He shakes his bandana'd head slowly. Fade to black. Use the slow and mornful theme music. Overlay text "TO BE CONTINUED">