The Quest of the Warrior Sheep (9 page)

The three humans left on the platform glared at each other.

‘You've made me miss my train,' said Jason crossly. He whistled for Saffron. ‘Heel, girl. Heel!'

The disappointed dog ignored his command and continued to run up and down the platform, barking excitedly. Neil stood for a moment, staring at her, and Luke realised, with a sinking heart, that he was having another of his ‘brilliant ideas'.

‘The dog,' Neil asked sharply. ‘Is it any good?'

Jason hesitated. ‘Yes,' he replied. ‘Very good. Why?'

‘How much d'you want for it?' Neil was taking his wallet from his back pocket.

Jason did some quick calculations. The pet shop in Loch Glooming would give him around fifty pounds if he was lucky.

‘Four hundred pounds,' he said firmly.

‘Two hundred,' retorted Neil.

‘Three hundred,' said Jason.

‘Done!' Neil slapped the last of his cash into Jason's hand.

Jason felt a twinge of guilt. But only a very small one. He hadn't exactly told this town guy a lie. Saffron
was
a good dog. She just wasn't a good sheepdog. Besides, Jason's TV was broken. Three hundred pounds would buy him a nice new one.

Neil turned to Luke. ‘Well don't just stand there,' he ordered. ‘Go get our dog.' He turned back to Jason. ‘Where's that train going?' he demanded rudely.

‘North. It doesn't stop again till it gets to Loch Glooming.'

‘When's the next one?'

‘Monday.'

Neil started to chew his fingernails, not sure what to do.

Jason decided to be helpful. ‘Is that yellow car in the lane yours?' he asked.

Neil stopped chewing. ‘What if it is?' he said suspiciously.

Jason shrugged. ‘If it's as fast as it looks, you might just get to Loch Glooming before the train. The road runs beside the railway.'

Neil grinned. Things were looking up.

‘Nasty brutes, llamas,' Jason observed, nodding at Neil's jacket. ‘Give me sheep any day.'

But Neil had already turned and was running towards the station exit. Luke was crouching in front of the dog, trying to persuade her to stand up. She had tired of chasing the train and didn't want to move again.

‘Her name's Saffron,' called Jason. Then, still in helpful mood, he added: ‘She likes crisps.'

Luke felt in the pocket of his parka. There were a few soggy crisps amongst the fluff and scraps of paper at the bottom. He held them out to Saffron. She sniffed, thought about it, then snaffled them up.

‘Good girl,' cooed Luke. ‘Now follow me. Nice dog. Nice Saffron.'

Maybe it was his pleading tone or maybe it was the damp crisps. Saffron stood up, wagged her tail and followed Luke to the car.

‘Bye, old girl,' called Jason, folding his money as she trotted away. ‘Be good!'

‘You get in first,' said Neil hastily to Luke, noting the dog's dirty paws. ‘It can sit on your lap.'

L
ooking back through the window of the slowly moving train, Wills watched the three humans for a moment but then, as the train picked up speed, something else caught his eye. Sitting in a field beside the railway line was a strange blue object with long, blade-like things on top. And beside it were some different humans.

‘Look!' cried Wills, ‘Isn't that Tod and Ida – over there by the blue thing?'

The others crowded around the window, but the field was slipping quickly past now and they only got a glimpse.

‘Couldn't have been, dear,' said Sal. ‘We're such a long way North now.'

‘No,' agreed Wills. ‘No. I suppose not.'

There was an uncomfortable silence. It was the
first time any of them had thought about Tod and Ida since the quest began. They suddenly felt guilty about that.

‘They'll be sooo upset we've gone,' said Jaycey.

The others agreed.

‘We will go back, won't we?' said Oxo. ‘I mean, when we've done the business with the Baaton, and Aries rules again and everything. We will go back to the farm?'

‘Of course, of course,' promised Sal soothingly.

‘Good,' said Oxo. ‘Only I do miss cauliflower night.'

The train moved on, gathering speed as it went, and the sheep turned their thoughts to where to settle for the next part of their journey.

Back in the field beside the railway, Tod and Ida stood next to the helicopter and stretched their legs. Far from being able to see for miles as Ida had hoped, they'd been able to see nothing at all from the air. It had finally got too dangerous to fly in the thick mist and the landing was even more hairy. They'd only just missed the railway as they came down. Lady Babcott got out and stood beside them.

‘Sorry we've been forced down,' she said. ‘Still, this
is
Eatwell, where your sheep were filmed rescuing the little boy from the railway line. I guess they must be somewhere very close.'

‘Oh, we can't thank you enough,' said Gran, who was still bubbling with excitement after her helicopter ride. She tucked her arm into Lady Babcott's and they all marched off into the mist.

‘Wills . . . Jaycey . . .' Gran called. ‘Oxo, Links, Sal . . . Where are you?'

Tod followed, peering from side to side, wishing he had a torch to penetrate the mist. One of those head torches would be useful. He thought briefly of the men in Gran's field and wondered if they'd found their mobile phone yet.

On the train, the Warriors had finally settled into the guard's van. There was no food here but a bit more space for them to spread out. Sal couldn't remember what verse of the Songs of the Fleece she had got up to, so was just about to begin from the beginning again when a voice made her jump.

‘Tickets, please!'

The ticket inspector was standing in the doorway, looking very grumpy. Unticketed livestock were a serious offence.

‘No ticket, no ride,' he said. Then, when no one spoke: ‘All right, we'll make an unscheduled stop and turf you all off.'

‘No, don't do that. I'll pay for them,' said another voice hastily. ‘They're with me.'

The sheep blinked. Standing behind the ticket inspector was Tony Catchpole. Wills wondered again if he was seeing things. First Tod and Ida, now Tony. But it definitely was him. Tony paid for the tickets, then bought the entire stock of food and drinks from the snacks trolley and spent the next three hours in the guard's van with the sheep. He knew each of them by name and chatted about Eppingham and Tod and Ida, just to make them feel comfortable.

But all the time, Tony himself was bursting with excitement. He was trying to spot signs that they'd been modified by aliens. And he was puzzled that he couldn't find any. Their eyes weren't glazed, they didn't seem disturbed. They just munched crisps and chocolate fingers and slurped the tea he poured into
the fire bucket for them. Then he looked again at the thing hanging around Jaycey's neck. He tried to get closer but the sheep wouldn't let him.

‘Baaton . . . Baaton . . . Baaton . . .' they bleated.

It didn't make sense that they would be carrying an ordinary mobile phone. It had to be something else. Then he realised what and became even more excited.

‘It must be a receiver!' he told the sheep. ‘So the aliens can control you. I bet they're controlling you right now!'

He knelt down by the window so that he could peer up at the sky directly above, in case the UFO was close overhead. The sheep watched with interest and looked to Wills for an explanation of this odd human behaviour. Wills shrugged.

‘No idea,' he admitted. ‘I think he's a bit batty.'

Tony got a crick in the neck but he didn't see any UFOs. What he did see, though, confused and rather worried him.

There was a main road beside the railway, sharing the same valley floor as it wound northwards. A yellow sports car was scorching its tyres as it sped along the road. Sometimes the train was a little in front,
sometimes the car overtook and gained the lead for a few minutes. It appeared to be some kind of race. A very dangerous one for the people in the car, Tony thought. And he tried to remember where he'd seen a car like that before. It was at Eppingham. On the night the sheep had been abducted. The night he'd given Nisha a daffodil. The car was in the lead now and streaking away.

Tony turned his attention back to the sheep.

‘We shall shortly be arriving at Loch Glooming,' announced the train tannoy. ‘Loch Glooming is the next and final stop. Please leave the train, taking all your personal belongings with you.'

‘And your sheep,' added the voice of the cross ticket inspector.

Tony scrambled to his feet and fumbled for his mobile phone.

‘Hello, Cousin Angus? It's Tony again. Did you manage to sort something for me . . .? Yes, I know I only gave you a couple of hours but any old truck will do . . . Great . . . See you in a few minutes.'

He glanced at the sheep and moved away before making his second call, his cheeks turning
rather pink as it was answered.

The Warriors had lost interest in Tony now and were gazing through the windows at the scenery. They could see mountains in the near distance. North was close. The land of the Soay sheep.

‘We are coming, great Aries,' murmured Sal. ‘Your Warriors are coming . . .'

The train drew to a halt.

‘Stay here,' ordered Tony, and he jumped out on to the platform, closed the train door behind him and hurried off.

‘We's on a quest, man,' Links called after him. ‘We don't stay nowhere, innit.'

‘No way,' agreed Oxo. He led the way out of the guard's van into the corridor and butted the door Tony had closed. Nothing happened.

‘Try the button?' suggested Wills. ‘Up there.'

Oxo stood on his hind legs and butted the ‘Door Open' button. The door hissed sideways and the Warriors jumped out.

‘Exit to town this way,' indicated Wills, reading a sign. ‘I expect that's what we want.' And he turned and trotted away. Straight into a trap.

T
he yellow car had screeched to a halt outside the station, minutes before the train had arrived. Neil had jumped out of the driver's seat and Saffron had bounded off Luke's lap. Now she stood beside Luke, wagging her tail, hoping for more damp crisps.

Neil took control. ‘Heel, dog,' he ordered. He positioned himself just outside the station exit. Saffron ran to his side, then crouched low, expectant and eager. Perhaps he had crisps too.

Passengers poured out past them.

Wills and the other Warriors didn't hear Neil's whistle until they were outside the station. Then it was too late. The dog was in their faces, and at their heels and tails. Everywhere, in fact, that a sheepdog can get, and all at the same time. Saffron was having a sheep moment. These were very rare. About once a
year, which was why she had been sold. Train, car and bicycle chasing moments were much more common.

‘That'll do!' ordered Neil firmly. ‘Move 'em now. This way!'

He whistled again and before the terrified, bewildered Warriors could gather their wits, they were being herded swiftly away from the station, away from the town. The dog swirled around them with bared teeth, giving Oxo no chance to butt.

Luke was very impressed by Neil's exhibition of shepherding.

‘I didn't know you could whistle like that,' he said admiringly.

Neil smirked and prodded the sheep nearest to him with a stick he'd picked up from the roadside.

‘Easy,' he said. ‘You just have to show the dog who's boss.'

‘So, uh, where are we going?' asked Luke, running to keep up.

‘Away from prying eyes,' said Neil. He tossed the stick to Luke. ‘Take over. And as soon as we're out of this grotty town, stop the dog and get the phone. I'll be right behind.'

Luke fumbled on the ground for the stick he had failed to catch.

‘Er, right,' he said, looking anxiously at Saffron, who was yapping excitedly and running in ever faster circles around the frightened sheep.

Meanwhile, Tony was feeling very let down. His Cousin Angus had promised a truck – any old truck. Instead, he was waiting behind the station with a tractor. True, it had a trailer. But the trailer was full of manure and straw. There was hardly room in it for five very special sheep.

‘Best I could do, laddie,' Angus said. ‘Couldn't get the truck started. Take it or leave it.'

Tony took it. ‘Thanks, Angus. I'll return it a.s.a.p.'

He shook hands with Angus then ran back to the train.

‘No . . .!' he wailed when he saw the open door and the empty guard's van. He ran out of the station again and looked wildly around. In the distance, he could see the sheep being driven away from town by a very excitable dog and a scruffy guy in a dirty parka. Following them slowly along the road was the yellow
car he'd seen from the train window. He breathed a sigh of relief. Not aliens this time. Human thieves. He could deal with
them
. He raced back to the tractor, scrambled into the driver's seat, revved the engine and headed after the yellow car, his trailer full of manure and straw bouncing along behind.

The sheep were being driven south. Away from the North and the mountains where they would surely find Aries. Their quest had been halted and there was nothing they could do. Wills hung his head in shame.

‘I'm so sorry, guys,' he said. Then he wept like a lamb. ‘I'm so sorry. It's all my fault. I should have looked where I was going as we came off the train.'

‘We've failed you, great Aries,' wailed Sal through her own tears. ‘We
all
should have looked.'

‘Yeah, we's supposed to be Warriors, innit,' said Links angrily.