A Northern Gold Rush
2. 'Kitnapped'
“What did you say??” Baloo didn’t know quite the right thing to say. “Molly, how did ya get in here?”
“I fell asleep after carrying those blankets. I was tired because it was too hot last night to sleep.”
“That’s nice for you, you can sleep, whenever you want. Every time I shut my eyes for a while Becky wakes me up.”
Molly didn’t laugh about this remark. Certainly it wasn’t a real joke, it was a complaint too, but it was this situation that didn’t let her laugh. She found this situation both frightening and exciting. What would her mother think about this? Maybe she didn’t even notice her daughter was gone, she had something else to care about: work.
Higher for Hire, 2.00pm
“Wildcat, what are you doing?”
“Hi, Miz Cunningham, just repairing an engine, like I make one by myself.”
“Have you seen Molly?”
”Yeah, I think. This morning?” Rebecca nodded. “This morning she was a bit upset,” Wildcat continued. “I tried to comfort her and I think I did okay.” He smiled.
“She was angry with me?” Rebecca asked.
“Nay, I think she was more like…sad. Then she saw Kit and Baloo and she spent some time with them carrying blankets in the Sea Duck. Funny, after that I didn’t see her. Like she was in the Sea Duck when they left.”
“I hope not. Maybe she went somewhere to play in the sand, building a castle or something.”
“If that’s so we have to look where sand is.”
Rebecca felt worried. “Wildcat, please keep looking here and in the office. If you see her, just phone me… You know how the phone works right?”
“Euuh, yes I think I do. I’ll start searching right away.”
“Thanks.”
Rebecca rushed off. She thought about what to do when Molly wasn’t at home. If she were missing, it would be for just two hours. In the office she phoned the police like every concerned mother would do when a child was missing. The officer on the other side of the line told her not to worry. She just had to check every place where her little girl would go when she was upset. She knew children don’t run away that quick. And even when she ran away, the police couldn’t do anything until twelve hours after the disappearance. But, the police on the street would be on the lookout for her.
Sea Duck, 2.00pm
“Yeah, those must be the Jernheima Mountains.” Baloo answered with a dull voice. “They ain’t warm, same as the water we’ll have to land on.” After a 180-degree turn Baloo landed the Sea Duck neatly next to the customhouse.
“Welcome to… Nidelos, Capital of the Kingdom of Norm….,” Molly tried to read on a sign. “What are those kinds of names?”
“Those are Ny-da-ro-zje and Nor-mar-ka-nen” Kit read slowly for her. They were indeed tough names to pronounce.
Awoken by the sound of an airplane the custom officer, an impressive panther, walked out of his office. From that little cabin a radio played Nature Boy.
“Hold it, something is wrong”, the officer suddenly said.
Baloo got impatient. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“There are two persons mentioned on this form, but there are three of you. Explain that without saying you weren’t smuggling.”
Baloo tried to explain. “Please, trust me. I'm not trying to smuggle anything, especially no kids for cryin’ out loud. This little girl here is my boss’s kid. Phone my boss if ya want to, it would be a relief for her too to know her daughter is here.”
The officer wasn’t convinced. “It’s time for school, so she couldn’t help you…” was the arrogant answer of the officer.
Baloo was getting tired of all the cold and the jazz this officer was making of one simple misunderstanding. The biggest problem was that you had to be polite to those kinds of people even if they stirred up bad blood.
“She isn’t mentioned in the forms, and so what am I suppose to do, believe she’s part of the cargo too? Don’t tell me that kind of nonsense. I have to inform my superiors to…”
Riiiiiinng.
The officer walked back into his office to pick up the phone he just wanted to use. “Yes, Mozz Hazeldonck here, customs office. “Yes Mr. Nezz, they’re here.”
“Of course they are, we can see that!!”
Hazeldonck couldn’t hide his amazement. “But how… May I be that impolite to ask you where you are sir?”
Nezz sighed; it crackled through the phone like snow under one’s feet. “Actually no, you may not, but I am in a good mood. We are in one of those cute little pubs near the harbour with a view at you! Now, what kind of troubles our you making there?” Nezz was foaming.
“Just doing duty sir, they’re with three and I got only two persons…”
“Let them pass you idiot, I’m not paying you to spoil my plans!”
Hazeldonck wiped the sweat of his forehead. Sooner or later his superiors would find out about this. Lucky for him he would be in sunny Periquay by then, on Nezz’s costs. He reached out to switch the radio off and he almost stumbled over the phone-wire.
“Nothing sir, all under control now. But how am I going to…”
“You got a pen there? Make a three of that two and it’s okay.”
“Okay, I understand, certainly sure sir. Thank you. God Tag.”
Again on the quay, Hazeldonck seemed to be another person, even if it was just because of the glasses he put on his nose. “Please accept my apologies for all the delay. That was one of my superiors, telling me you and your company didn’t do anything wrong. There were three persons mentioned, here, look at the form, and I had forgotten my glasses. I’m getting a bit old you know. Everything is okay, you can do what you need to do.”
Relieved, Baloo walks to his plane to get the cargo out. “Hey Baloo, something is wrong,” Kit whispered behind him.
“Aw, for the love of…!” Baloo tried to keep his voice low. “Kit, I don’t care. Just get the cargo out of the plane and get the hell outta here.”
“But Papa Bear, please bust your rudder and listen. In Cape Suzette two wolves came to me. They wanted me to navigate something over Jernheima Mountains to Colloupe. I refused but they said they would see me again this same week and by then, they said I would have changed my mind.”
“So that’s why you asked me about that border. But what does this have to do with that Hazeldonck creature?”
“He has the same accent as those two wolves” Kit explained. “So far everything is okay, but I don’t believe Hazeldonck’s explanation after that phone call. How would the person that filled in the form know that Molly was with us? Who knew we came here with three persons, you, Molly and me? Rebecca didn’t know that, even we didn’t know Molly was in the plane. So it is just coincidence? Who was on the other end of the phone? It’s just like somebody really wants us in this country.”
“C’mon Kit, cool your engines, first I’ll phone Becky, then we unload the Sea Duck and then we’ll return to Cape Suzette.”
Just as Baloo wanted to look for a telephone booth, Kit looked around, staring his eyes wide. “Where’s Molly?” he shouted.
“I’m here!” a cheerful voice came from the other side of the Sea Duck.
“But Danger Woman has to check the town!” the little cub said.
Molly came from the Sea Duck, wearing a red coloured blanket as a cloak. This time she wore no helmet, which was at home with some fresh vegetables in it.
“That may be better, probably there’re a lot of bad fellows in this town.”
Molly jumped for joy, on the eve of exploring a new world. Kit could just catch her before she tripped over her cloak. “Be careful Danger Woman, I don’t want to loose you,” he smiled.
Molly gave him a reproachful look. “You don’t have to worry about Danger Woman. I’ve to worry the bad fellows.” She couldn’t suppress a giggle.
Together Baloo and Molly left. Kit sat down near the Sea Duck to wait; the cargo was too heavy to get it out on his own. Sunlight reflected on the snow of the mountains, it blinded Kit for a moment. Despite Baloo’s complaints it wasn’t so cold as Kit expected, in bright sunlight this temperature could beat a warm day in Cape Suzette’s spring.
Rebecca’s apartment, 2.30pm
Nydaroche, 2.35pm
“Yes I did”, Kit answered curtly. “I don’t like your way of working and misty plans. Just leave me alone. So if you’ll excuse me, I have to unload a plane and clean it.”
“But Kit, you can even become a pilot with us right away,” Paul flattered him.
“Wow, that’s nice, and then? When I’m a pilot you still don’t have a navigator,” Kit replied full of cynicism. How many times did he have to tell them he didn’t want to do anything and where was Baloo, was it so difficult to find a booth? It made him feeling uncomfortable, he tried to hide so Paul couldn’t see he was… well, scared.
“You have to clean your plane, why? So you won’t leave any traces of smuggling? In that case, I think I have to phone my friend Hazeldonck again. He can arrest you and your friends after all.”
“So you bribed the customs to let us through. I’ve seen the form, it mentioned two persons. This Hazeldonck stood in his right to question us. But tell me, what’s worse: having by accident a stowaway on board or bribing the customs? It’s just a dirty trick of yours to let me in this country.”
“Oh dear. And you think they’ll believe your story?”
“I don’t know if ‘they’ will believe me. I can cause some confusion with my story. Still, I know I can trust my friend the mayor.”
“Oh yeah, and who is your mayor friend?” Paul grinned. Geoff watched the fishes in the water.
Kit got a bit nervous, he was bluffing because he didn’t know the mayor. To avoid the look of Paul he watched the ‘welcome board’, signed by mayor Lars Vaisanen. “My friend is Lars Vaisanen,” finally he responded, rejoiced he could give a firm answer. Luckily it wasn’t that difficult to pronounce that name. Yet it was Paul’s turn to become nervous, he started to swear under his breath.
“You spoiled irritating brat!” Paul shouted.
At that moment Kit felt a hard blow on the back of his head. Dizzy and seeing black spots in front of him he fell down. Then everything became black.
“Never say no to Paul. You shall come with us, you have to. Take him on your shoulder Geoff and take him to the Trygger Mine.”
“And what if Hazeldonck sees us?” His voice quavered for a moment.
“Wake up fool, Nezz bribed that moron! He won’t say anything.”
Paul gave Geoff a large bag. He was glad they had succeeded and he already imagined the happy face Nezz would give him as he handed over the new navigator. There was nothing better than showing somebody he could handle his business excellent.
They switched places, just like they agreed before they left the station. Anthony had to sit next to the window, to avoid any form of train sickness. Geoff watched his parents who sat opposite to him.
“Do I have to come with you?” his mother asked.
Geoff shook his head of indignation. “I’m 10 years already, I can go to the toilet myself.”
“Hey Geoff, come on, we don’t have all day. You know Nezz hates to wait,” Paul brought him back to reality.
After phoning home Baloo and Molly returned to the Sea Duck, where several men were waiting. One of them stepped forward: “Hey, you’re the pilot of this plane?”
“Yes I am, why?”
“Why do you leave your plane here unattended with opened doors and my goods still in it?”
Molly walked in to the Sea Duck to look for Kit.
“Nice navigator you have. He surely didn’t want to wait for us.”
“Baloo,” Molly interrupted pulling Baloo’s pilot shirt, “I can’t find Kit, only his cap. Is he playing at hide-and-seek?”
Baloo looked terrified to the Sea Duck. Kit’s gone without his cap? “Doggone me, this’s all wrong” he mumbled. He has to think fast and rationally. As long as those guys were around he couldn’t search for Kit. So he had to handle the goods first. “You’ve been able to check the forms and the cargo?” he asked.
“Yes, beside your deserted navigator failing in his duty, everything is okay.”
“He won’t never leave my plane, or me never!! So don’t ya talk ‘bout Kit like he doesn’t handle his work well, you… you…damned!” Then Baloo calmed down and acted like nothing happened: “so everything’s okay? Then get it outta my plane.”
”Finally,” the customer said, “but your boss will hear about this messy organization.” The other men started to load the goods in a truck.
“Me neither Molly,” Baloo mumbled in desperation, “just having his cap here…”
Molly ran back to the Sea Duck. Sitting in Kit’s navigator seat she stared into nothing, asking herself where Kit could be hiding. Or was it something else? It wasn’t like Kit, hiding so long for her. Then she noticed a piece of paper in a fold of Kit’s seat. “Less Sauvage, 1418 Olavsgata, Nydaroche” it showed, but she couldn't understand all of it. “Baloo, what’s this?” she asked when Baloo entered the Sea Duck.
“Who? Oh, Less, he’s a guy we met at Louie’s.” Suddenly Baloo shouted as he was struck by lightning: “that could be somebody who can help us.” A twinkling appeared in his eyes. Maybe he’s already back in town. Come on Molly, let’s go.” They locked the Sea Duck and went downtown.
“Should Mummy know about this?” Molly asked.
Baloo thought for a moment. “Yeah, it’s better to contact Becky again to tell her what happened and where we’ll stay.”
After a short walk and asking a few times the route to this street, they arrived at the house of Sauvage. The Olavsgata was a huge avenue, with trees on both sides of it. Between the trees on the grass lay a few rocks of granite. That gave the scene a more polar atmosphere. Sunlight came through the leaves; it was only the wind that gave temperature a heavy chill. Sure it was a beautiful place to live, just as Sauvage said. Walking down the avenue a few blocks they finally found Sauvage’s address. Actually it wasn’t really a house, Olavsgata 1418 was more like a barrack. A tiger opened the door. He was dressed in a sort of uniform Baloo didn’t recognize. The uniform was the only thing that made the tiger looking authoritatively; he had a calm air around him, which gave him a look of dignity.
“Good afternoon,” Baloo said, ‘is Less Sauvage around?”
”No, he isn’t back yet, but please come in. What can I do for you..” and when he looked down to Molly: “…and this lovely girl?”
“I don’t know exactly where to start,” Baloo reminded him of reality, “look, we met Sauvage in a bar near Cape Suzette. That’s where we come from. Just arrived here, our navigator disappeared. I think he’s kidnapped, we could only find his cap, and he never leaves without it. I thought maybe Sauvage would know where to go.”
”You didn’t contact the police?”
”Not yet, Sauvage was the first person I could think of, I don’t know anybody else here.”
“I see. By the way, I’m Tom Rosborg, one of Sauvage’s roommates and a fellow officer. Is there anything else you want to do?” Tom closed the door behind them. The entrance was one big mosaic of pictures, presenting the turbulent history of the nautical empire Normarkanen used to be.
“Yeah, I’ve to phone back home again to tell what's happened.”
”And I need a lunch,’ Molly said.
Tom smiled. ”I see, please follow me. To phone again you said?”
“Yes,” and Baloo explained what happened at the docks that day. They walked via one of the colonnades to a hall. Baloo noticed Tom walked with firm but soft step. There was absolutely nothing militarily about this fellow. He was more like a, how did Louie said that last time,… a lost soft housefather with no family and a non-fitting job. “So this is an army place?” Baloo asked.
“Not really. We’re soldiers if you want to name us so, but this is not the official army of Nydaroche, we’re more a Foreign Legion, helping people is our device. Here we are. The phone is over there and I’ll give… I beg your pardon, what’s your name again princess?”
“I’m no princess, I’m Molly,” the cub blushed her cheeks rose-red.
Tom laughed. “Alright, I’ll give you a lunch, Molly.” A moment later Molly had lunch at the table and Baloo phoned Rebecca, again…
End of Chapter 2.
Kit could see Molly was worried. “Don’t you worry, as soon as we get in Nydaroche we’ll phone home, so your mother won’t be worried about you. And we will be back tonight in Cape Suzette. Just look at this as a sort of adventure.”
Finally Rebecca took time to lunch. First she had to pick up Molly and go home. Maybe Molly would like this. Looking in the office she couldn’t find Molly. “Where would she hide,” Rebecca thought as she walked out of her office. It seemed like the heat knocked her on the head, she was dizzy for a while. When she was able to know again were she was and she wanted to do she started to look.
“Molly, where are you?!? It’s time for lunch!!” She yelled. No answer… Then she watched Wildcat, who was repairing something that looked like an engine.
Finally they approached Nydaroche. “Wow, look! Snow.” Molly shouted and she put her nose against the window.
“God tag, I’m Hazeldonck at your services. I wish you welcome in Normarkanen, do you have anything to declare?”
Now, Kit knew for sure where Paul and Geoff came from. Although the custom officer tried to hide his accent, he had the same accent like Paul, the “s” was not yet pronounced like a “z”.
“So is this officer a original inhabitant of Normarkanen, or is he an immigrant from Colloupe?” he wondered.
Baloo showed the officer the necessary paperwork, something he wanted to do quickly. The sooner he got back in the warm Sea Duck the better, he expected a couple of penguins coming out of the water any moment. It might be hot in Cape Suzette, but even the warmth in the cabin would always be better than this cold.
”Hey, don’t talk to me like that. Schools are closed in our town, holidays ya know? I just fly the cargo pal, I can’t help what I’m deliverin’.”
Nezz could hear the noise on the other end of the line. “What the hell you’re doing?”
Baloo sighed, the breath made some clouds of mist in front of his face. “Please Button Nose, stay in the Sea Duck, don’t want to loose ya here when we leave.”
It was quiet on the quay. Hazeldonck got back into his office. In the water Kit could see a shoal of fishes passing the reflection of his face in the water. Kit took a deep breath. Actually it was nice here; just warm enough to get lazy. Closing his eyes it was just like Cape Suzette’s beach without the sound of swimming people. Even the seagulls were the same. He opened his eyes and took a short walk to stretch his legs.
At home Rebecca couldn’t find Molly. The easy lunch break she had in mind wasn’t that attractive to her anymore. The thought of Molly being missing made her lose her appetite.
Just as she left the phone rang. “Hello… Baloo, what’s… Molly is with you? Is she all right? How’s that possible?… Yes, it’s a relief, I was searching all over town, the office, home, and I even called the police. But thanks for letting me know.”
“Well, well, look who’s here.” Kit turned around and he looked into Paul’s face. “And Kit, did you made up your mind?”
“You are convinced?” Kit asked recklessly. “I’ve seen enough of you two, so don’t bother me anymore!” He turned around to pick up his work.
From the inner city they heard the sound of an ambulance. Kit held his breath for a moment. No, it would be too much coincidence if this ambulance was racing to rescue Baloo or Molly. After the ambulance was gone the only sound he could hear was the water, dashing against the pier. There was nobody else at the quay but him, Paul and Geoff. It seemed like Geoff didn’t really care about convincing him, the only one who was setting him under pressure was Paul. Geoff was more like a type that watched the tide every day to find some rest. How did that fellow got into this mess?
“Gimme some space so I can do my work will you,” he muttered.
Geoff stood up from the waterfront. The shoal swam away, scared by Geoff’s sudden move.
For some reason Geoff felt something like tears in his eyes as he saw Kit unconscious lying on the quay. He shook his head, why did Paul have to do that, Kit was just a child. Some day, Paul would pay for this he hoped. The next moment he got back into his role of every day’s life, as Paul’s accomplice.
Geoff picked up Kit, whispering some soothing words. Kit made him remember his elder brother when he saw him for the last time in his life. Again he cursed that day about a decade ago when faith of life took his family away.
“Hey kids, I got a surprise,” his father suddenly said. “Next week we won’t have to travel with the train anymore, we’ve a car by then.” Geoff and Anthony couldn’t believe their ears. Of course, the train was comfortable, but a car was more, it was luxurious. What would their classmates say about that?
The train wiggled a bit when it drove over some switches. “I have to go to the toilet” Geoff stood up.
He walked to the toilet. Just as he wanted to enter the little cell, he heard a whistle and a shrieking sound. The train swung more than ever. The lights died down, and the train capsized. It sounded the whistle helpless as it fell. When the window hit the rails the glass broke, everything became silent. The next moment he heard only the moaning of wounded people. Something hit him on the left shoulder and he lost consciousness, all he could remember further was that he woke up in a hospital bed. His grandparents sat beside the bed, his grandmother cried a thousand tears and more.
“Thank heavens you’re okay,” his grandfather whispered with a broken voice. “You’ve to come with us when you’re fully recovered.”
A few days later Geoff watched the coffins of his parents and his brother as they were lowered in a triple grave. His world collapsed. He grew up with his grandparents, they were good for him but he didn’t enjoy life really. He wanted to go to the big city, to make a fortune and to forget his past.
Again Baloo had to explain something. “It sure wasn't like this when I left, my navigator was here…” Baloo turned around. “Kit, where are ya!?” he yelled.
“Whatever” Baloo thought. He didn’t say anything about the possibility of Kit being missing. It was none of that man’s business.
Molly came out of the Sea Duck with Kit’s cap. ”Baloo, I can’t find Kit but I’ve found his cap. I don’t like this hide-and-seek no more,” her voice trembled a bit as worried as she was. The air became chilly around her.
The expression in his face gave away he was alone and longing for some company. Again he smiled to Molly. From the moment he saw her he was sure that he wanted a daughter like her someday, if he first could find a loving wife of course.