Mythlands: THE HEIST

Part Two: The Wall

'Uh, I guess we'd better go through,' said The Hare as they stared at the decontamination portal surrounded by a dozen signs instructing them what to do.

The cats and the Goose went first as they had no need of undressing as instructed.

HG Wells hesitated. 'May I suggest gentlemen that we turn our backs while the ladies disrobe and allow sufficient time for them to go through and retreat a safe distance beyo ...'

The Victorian author stopped talking and swallowed. Goldie was already unself-consciously shucking her clothes off and stood bra-less and unashamed before the rest. The Hare and The Gingerbread Man were gawking at her breasts.

Goldie placed a hand on each side of her firm bosoms and plumped them up. 'Whatsamatter boys? Not seen a pair as fine as my girls eh?' she laughed.

George blushed. 'Miss Lochs, I ...'

He halted again as he realized that The Hare and Ginger were also stripping. Jessica retreated into the nearest shadows and did likewise, intending to nip into the decontamination unit while all eyes were still on Goldie.

As she arranged her clothes over her arms and shoulders to cover her exit, the Magic Mirror spoke to her.

'Jessica, I am going to send myself ahead and check on Dorian. I shall return shortly.'

A jetted spray hit Jessica's naked flesh and she hurried through the mist. A voice declared 'CONTAMINATION CHECK COMPLETE. CLEARED FOR ENTRANCE.' and she stepped out the other side, almost on top of the Golden Goose.

'Wauuugghhh!' The Goose stared for a good three seconds before he ripped his eyes away. 'I ... I'm sorry Jessica, I didn't realise that ... waughhhh migod!!'

Goldie had stepped through. The Goose shut his eyes and retreated while the ladies dressed.

Goldie Lochs was laughing. 'You shoulda seen the looks on their faces Jess! I thought ol George was going to faint. And Hare's eyes were literally bugging.'

Jessica felt a sudden sharp pain in her chest at the thought of The Hare ogling Goldie. She immediately dismissed it. Why should she get annoyed or be surprised that The Hare was being The Hare. They were just friends now and he could do what he wanted! Bastard!

The thought shocked her but then she grabbed Goldie by the arm and tugged her, more forcefully than she should have. 'Come on, they'll be through in a minute.'

The men emerged just after they had retreated a safe distance, with George coming out last, peeking through the fine mist spray to make sure no women were around. Satisfied, he hastily dressed as The Hare looked around.

'Looks like we all passed.' They walked over to join the others beyond a hastily erected roadblock made up of trucks and cars. There was a space with more signs heralding the way forward.

'Look at this,' Griffin announced and placed one forward paw on the line painted between the space.

A hologram flickered into existence. Jessica recognized her at once. 'It's The Blue Fairy! I used to meet her on the nightclubbing circuit.'

SC looked at the unsolid form in front of them. 'She seems to have taken on a new vocation. Look at the uniform she's wearing.'

The apparition spoke. 'You have all safely cleared the radiation checks and been decontaminated of background emissions. Please proceed forward to the nearest checkpoint. Proceed now to the wall.'

'Wall? What wall?'

They all moved forward and the hologram pointed its wand and declared. 'Defense systems deactivated. Keep all weapons secured away. Non compliance of this ordnance will result in lethal counter-measures being reactivated. All weapons must be checked in at the point of entry.'

George pointed ahead. 'Mr Hare? That would be the wall mentioned.'

They all stared. A huge wall loomed before them - a wall that had not been there before.

A huge banner proclaimed 'The Trumpton Wall: For your protection. Authorized by Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grub.'

***

The Magic Mirror materialised within the familiar surroundings of the Lucky Cactus Myth Vegas Museum.

'Dorian?'

There was no answer, so Magic activated the settings of the specially constructed mirror that he called his primary habitation. The wheel units sparked into life and the mirror stand began to glide forward, as the surface rotated.

The museum and their quarters were completely trashed and the walls had been completely covered in graffiti. He recognized Dorian Gray's hand writing, but the daubed letters were ragged and erratic indicating panic ... or madness.

Some three dozen variations of the same phrase were painted all over the surfaces.

'BEWARE THE EVIL APPLE!'