Revolting Rose

Chapter 20/Part 3 - Coming Together

"He's redeeming himself, I think," Saloonka said, his eyes frequently flicking back to Nibbs as though he expected him to disappear, but with the way Franz' father was looking at his mother, that was unlikely to happen any time soon.

"It's a bit late for that, I should think!" Vasherri huffed and turned her back to him with a dramatic flick of her frock.

"V-Vasherri, please," Nibbs stuttered, but seeing the shame on his father's face, Franz felt the need to stand up for him.

"Mother, he's here because of me," he said sternly. "Regardless of anything else, he has always been a good father."

He could tell by the pursing of her lips that she was reluctant to accept the fact.

"There are chapters in the code on what to do if I want to seek redemption, but not a single word about what to do if heroes want it," Saloonka said with a guilty shuffle of his feet.

Vasherri eyes were like a rose's thorns as she replied, "That fellow is no hero, darling."

"But he is exactly like the ones in my hero identification diagrams. They don't come in the same variety as goblins, or anything else, really. They're always a fellow of a certain colouration, with a broody disposition, who seeks glory through unnecessary acts of violence towards Overlords and their Underlings," Saloonka said, counting off his fingers as he went. "There's been a movement lately against capes, so I think he's part of that."

Franz could not help but roll his eyes as he spoke. All the heroes he had read about were princesses or peasant girls, and not at all like his father.

"You have it all wrong, darling. Heroes can come in all shapes—"

While he agreed, Franz urgently tapped his mother's arm to stop her before she could finish.

"Don't say that or you'll make him paranoid," he whispered to her. "Perhaps he's just a broody fellow who isn't a hero," he added with a hopeful shrug to Saloonka.

"But I haven't seen any others since emerging, and we're too far along now for another one to show up." Saloonka's nervousness was becoming rather apparent, and that could be more dangerous than any of those twisted heroes in the fiend's head.

"Perhaps then, in the absence of a hero, we should get on with this revolution before one gets the chance to spoil it?" Franz suggested. "Looks like the whole horde is here."

The newly arrived army had not been readily apparent, until there was a shift in what he thought was a pile of socks waiting to be hung. As soon as their cover was blown, a swarm of merchant folk homed in on them with offers of revolting merchandise. Franz edged a little closer to listen in for new goods on offer, but Saloonka pulled him back again.

"Where are the Ladies, Franz?" the fiend asked with an impatient foot-tapping. "They're not even real, are they?"

"They are, but they will have a long way to travel...if they even accepted the invitation." Franz tried to hide that last part in a mumble. He had high hopes for Tarnop's ability to persuade the Ladies, but doubt was starting to creep in.

"Mister Overlord, Sir!" a goblin breathlessly shouted, running up to them. "We spotted the frocked folk, but ye see," he started, but had to stop to grab his knees and heave in air.

Saloonka's eyes were fixed intently on the goblin but as his Underling struggled to continue a furrow slowly made its way into his brow. "See what?" he snapped, and got the story going again.

"We were pullin' the socks out o' the river like ye asked us tae. But when we did, there were a whoppin' big splurt that took out yer bridge and stranded more than a few goblins on some very 'igh shroom tops."

"I'll have the pigeons rescue the goblins, but what about the Ladies?"

"Aye, they were mighty offended."

The fiend gave a sharp whistle that brought the whole horde to attention, but his eyes were scanning the ground rather than their faces. "Duskerro! Where did you go, you vile rodent?"

The fiery little critter stomped over on his hind legs, with his forearms crossed and an angry sizzle coming from his eyes.

"Cheer up, Duskers. If you help, I'll let you have some fuses later."

To that, Duskerro squeaked, as Franz expected he would. It was a distinctly moody sound, indicating that he had no interest in being useful.

"I wasn't hiding them from you. I wanted to use them later is all," Saloonka said, squatting down nearer to the rat's level.

Duskerro's arms slowly unfolded and after quite a bit of nose-twitching, he uttered another reluctant squeak.

"Wonderful, I'll need a dragon to make up for this one. Ladies love dragons. Go find something to burn to make yourself nice and big."

Saloonka sent Duskerro off with a wave of his hand, then spun around to face Franz. With a lick of his thumb, he rubbed frantically at some smudge on Franz' cheek, then fussed about his collar and hair. After a moment of contemplation, the fiend sent him off in another direction.

"Go find me some baskets or boxes large enough to carry the Ladies in, and some rope!" the fiend called out to him, then followed with, "Mother Franz, Goldilocks, Mum, you're coming with me!"

Despite feeling apprehensive about the command and what nonsense-headed plot Saloonka had in mind this time, Franz gathered the items as asked. Thankfully the rope was for the purpose of hanging the baskets from Duskerro and not for nefarious Lady-stealing, which was surely in his Code of Villainy somewhere.

Again, Duskerro's form was no less rattish than any of the previous. He had merely grown a bit and added some wings blazing out his back. A few artists were not deterred by his mediocre appearance and had already sat down to whittle their figurines. Franz voiced his interest for the sake of his collection, then went to join the others as they struggled to climb onto the rat-dragon's back.

"No, Franz." Saloonka said, stopping him as he got a foot up in a shadowy stirrup. "You're to stay here and finish setting up the garden party."

"Garden party?" he shrieked in disbelief. It was not the time for another sodding party.

"What did you think all those vegetables are for?" Saloonka replied with a scoff and shook him out of his foothold.

"WHAT ABOUT YOUR BLOODY REVOLUTION?"

As ever, Franz was left with no explanation. Saloonka kicked his heels into Duskerro's sides and buggered off without another word.

With the constant parties the fiend was demanding, it was like nothing had changed that Season except for who was invited. Which, in the grand scheme of things, made a frustrating amount of sense.