Damsel Disaster! by Peter Bently Page A

hide-and-seek, don’t you, Sir Percy?”
    “Do I, Cedric?” he moaned feebly.
    “Yes, Sir Percy,” I said, desperately trying to get him to twig. “It’s your
favourite
game,
remember?
”
    “Oh, Sir Percy,
I
adore hide-and-seek, too!” said the High Steward. “Let’s play, my darling, let’s!”
    “Sir Percy especially loves to
hide
first,” I said. “
Don’t
you, Sir Percy?”
    “Ah! Yes! Yes!” he said, finally seeing what I was getting at. “Hide first! Yes,indeed! Most definitely!”
    “Well, go on then, my beloved Percy-wercy!” chortled the High Steward, climbing off Sir Percy’s lap. “You hide in the chamber while I stay here and count.”
    “To a hundred, mind!” said Sir Percy. “And no peeking!”
    “Very well, my darling. Off you go!” She blew Sir Percy a kiss. Then she shut her eyes and started to count, “One, two, three…”
    We slipped out of the Privy Privy and tiptoed across the chamber. We carefully opened the door to the landing and were checking the coast was clear when Patchcoat appeared at the top of the servants’ stairs.
    “Wotcher!” he said. “Sorry I took so long. I kept having to dodge all these castle guards. The bad news is I heard one of them saying they’d found the boat.”
    “Bother!” said Sir Percy. “We’ll need another way of getting off the island. But whatever we do, we can’t stay here. The High Steward will have nearly counted to a hundred!”
    “Eh?” said Patchcoat. “But I locked her in the servants’ loo!”
    “We know,” I said, heading for the servants’ stairs. “But the cook let her out.”
    “Oh well,” said Patchcoat. “At least it bought you some time to do the potion business. Did it work?”
    “Er, yes … and no,” I said. “I’ll explain on the way. We need to get out of here without the High Steward or Sir Roland seeing Sir Percy!”
    “Sir Roland?”
gasped Patchcoat. “You mean
he’s
in the castle?”
    I briefly told Patchcoat what had happened as we dashed down the stairs to the kitchen. We reached the bottom – only to run right into Peggy.
    “Afternoon, Your Highness!” she said, curtsying to Sir Percy.
    “Peggy!” I said. “It’s Sir Percy. And me, Cedric!”
    Peggy looked up and gasped. “Gracious me, so it is!” she said. “You do look funny,Cedric! Why are you dressed up like that?”
    “We have to get off the island,” I said. “Please will you help us? If we’re caught we’ll all be locked in the tower!”
    “Or worse,” pleaded Sir Percy. “If the High Steward or Sir Roland catch me first!”
    “I’m sorry, sir,” said Peggy. “I mean, I’d really
like
to –” she glanced at me – “but if old Stew… – er – the High Steward found out, I’d lose my job.”
    “Please, my dear girl!” whined Sir Percy. “There’s no time to lose!”
    “Oh, well, I’d hate to see you locked in the tower.” Peggy smiled at me and I felt that funny warm feeling come back to my face. “And if we’re careful no one’ll see us.So yes, I
will
help you. I know where there’s an old rowing boat. Cook uses it to go fishing. Come on!”
    “Hold on!” said Sir Percy suddenly. “It won’t do to travel home dressed like this. Cedric, fetch my armour. But hurry!”
    Patchcoat and I dashed into the servants’ privy. Patchcoat hastily gathered up his clothes and mine while I retrieved Sir Percy’s armour.
    Making sure no one was in sight, Peggy led the way out of the kitchen and into the woods. Sir Percy huffed as his pink dress caught on the brambles and thorns. At least he didn’t have to stumble along carrying about half a ton of metal.

    We finally came to a dense bit of woodland away from the castle. “There it is,” said Peggy, pointing to an old rowing boat under some bushes.
    “Splendid!” said Sir Percy. “Now let’s get out of here!”
    Peggy, Patchcoat and I started to pullthe boat down to the shore. Suddenly we heard voices nearby.
    “Oh, Sir Roland!” whined