3: Logan Delivers the Truth

This is my third chapter. I’m not really dedicating it to anyone this time, but I just forgot to say in the beginning that every chapter really is dedicated to Logan, because he’s the whole reason this book is able to exist. Thank you, West-Band Logan, if you ever read this!

It was band practice again. A week had elapsed, and still Logan Manchester was confused. What had the men wanted, exactly? Logan knew who the Walrus was – he though he knew, anyway. He wanted to go to Tongues of Acid to be with his (so-called) friends one last time (even though everyone could easily agree that he was only the uncomfortable Pitchy-Clarinet player in the background) and then he wouldn’t put anyone in danger, even Saraha.

One may say Logan was being gallant, but Logan was not a gallant person. You see, pixies cannot be gallant. He was merely wanted to keep anyone from harming Saraha, because the lanky pixie knew that if Flo P were to be threatened, Ji-Ji and Saraha would step in harm’s way to protect their friend.

Ji-Ji began the band meeting by calling everyone to order. “Please settle down!” she cried. “I know we’ve all be shaken,” she said to the attentive room. “And we can’t find out who they were – the police said nothing – they refused to speak of them, actually. That strengthens my hunch that they may have been from the government, or somewhere official, working for the country.

“What they want, we still don’t know, but it seems like they were wrong. Commander Brack must have made a mistake, and gone off on some sort of far-fetched idea that one of us knew something. But I don’t want to that to get in the way of our music. So, in that case, please take out your James Blunt and let’s begin…” Ji-Ji finished her announcement. Logan assembled his Pitchy-Clarinet, and the rehearsal began.

At the end, Logan approached Ji-Ji. He said quietly, in his usual manner, “I need to quit the band.”

She stopped drinking and looked up. “Why’s that?” asked Ji-Ji, concerned.

“I have – I have family issues,” he said.

However, Ji-Ji still looked suspicious. “It doesn’t have anything to do with those men, does it, Logan? If that’s the reason, honestly, don’t think it’s connected to you.”

“Psh, no, no, that’s not it,” Logan said, attempting to be nonchalant, but pixies can’t pass things away by being nonchalant, so Logan stopped. “It’s just… I don’t want to talk about it,” he lied.

“Alright, but we’ll be sad to see you go. Goodbye then, Logan.”

Logan nodded, and took one last look to the music room, then walked lankily out. However, as he marched home, a terrible idea struck him. What if Commander Brack eventually found out that he was connected to the Walrus, and he tortured Flo P in the process to get information about him? This was the last straw. Logan decided: he was going to tell Flo P everything.

Logan turned around and ran back. He dropped his Pitchy-Clarinet by the entrance, and scrambled into the music room where Flo P, Andrew, another Screech player, Saraha, and Ji-Ji were all clearing away the stands and packing up.

Andrew, Saraha and Flo P looked surprised to see him, but Ji-Ji smirked as if she’s expected it all along and gave him a knowing look. “I need to talk to you, Flo P, and Ji-Ji and Saraha too, if you want,” Logan said urgently. They went out into the hall, Andrew looking upset, as he was not being included.

“Look,” Logan said in a straight forward manner, most unlike him. “When you said that the men weren’t look for me last week, you were wrong. They were right. I do know who the Walrus is – or I think so, at least. And it’s not fair if I leave now, because then they’ll come looking for you when I leave, and they will find me eventually.

“Anyway, the Walrus is my father. Well, part of the Walrus is, anyway. I really don’t know much, but I’m almost certain I’m correct. My father was named Walter Manchester. He worked for a secret lab. I remember before he left he was working on a project, and the file was on his desk once while he had gone to the bathroom. It was labeled, ‘The Walrus Operation.’”

Saraha and Ji-Ji and Flo P looked astonished.

“Are you fooling me? You’re sure you’re not… pulling my leg or something?” Saraha asked. “So, in the end… They broke my flute because of some crap document!”

Flo P gave her friend a piercing look. “Do you know what the document’s about, Logan? Do you know where it is, too?” asked Flo P.

“No. Though I have one idea. I knew it was top-secret, though, and I’m pretty sure the government wasn’t behind it. Before he left, my dad told me that if I was ever bothered or there was a crisis, I should look in my tree house, and give the secret up. He said no more. I don’t know if it’s connected, but I’ll check; it’s worth a shot.”

THE PROBLEM GROWS… WHAT IS ‘THE WALRUS OPERATION’? THIS TIME NEXT WEEK, “THE LUNK TREE”!