"So, Miss Rose, we will be making a short stop at number 99, Chatham Close shortly to drop off your acquaintance Miss Hilda Stone for permission to enter Waters House?" the chauffeur asked in his haughty German accent.
"Yes, Sebastian-" Rose replied
"Sigismund."
"Yes Sebastian Sijimoe-" Rose attempted, albeit a bit cheekily.
"I am not amused by your little trick, Miss Rose." Sigismund replied warily, toothbrush mustache wiggling exasperatedly. "You know my name is Sigismund, I have dutifully served you family for years."
"Sorry, Salvador."
"Miss Hilda, please may you go and ask your guardian permission to slumber overnight at my employer's abode." Sigismund finally said.
"Yes, Mister Sigismund." Hilda replied politely. This received looks of bewilderment from Rose, looks of amusement from Genevieve and looks of respect from Sigismund, the chauffeur.
"Wot?" Rose hissed. "How'd you understand him? Even mum and dad have a hard time understanding what he says!"
"I live with Mister Henry." Hilda sighed, smiling slightly.
"Ah."
Hilda opened the doors of the expensive looking limousine and walked up the pebbled front yard onto the purple wooden door. She grasped the lion knocker and, shakily, rapped it against the door.
No response.
Undaunted, Hilda rapped the door knocker again. He could be still sleeping.
But after looking like a fool, rapping the doorknob over and over, she decided that he was out. In the park. At the greengrocer's. Wherever.
She walked back to the car and dialed his phone number. He always carried a phone with him, even though he was so stuck in the past. It was weird thought. But it was useful.
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Hello?"
Then, a slightly hoarse voice croaked, "Help. Next to pond."
*********
"The pond! Mister Sigismund, in Riverview Park, near the middle, you only need to take me to the entrance, it's not that far-" Hilda babbled.
"No, Miss Hilda, I can navigate up to the inland sea." Sigismund insisted. "Have you dialed the emergency services? Your guardian could be in a critical condition."
"Done." Genevieve said quickly. "I called them about five minutes ago. The ambulance is on its way."
"Quickness, fire and organisation." Sigismund nodded. "The best qualities any being can possess."
Sigismund drove up to the park entrance doors, and quickly advanced to the pond. As they got closer, they could see a half-conscious old man lying dangerously close to the water's edge.
"No." Hilda whispered.
"I'm so sorry." Genevieve replied sympathetically.
"The ambulance will sort him out fine. He'll be alright." Rose added.
"No. That isn't Mister Henry."
"It isn't?" Sigismund asked. "Are we at the wrong inland sea?"
"No."
"So... where is your Mister Henry person?" Rose asked.
"Still at home. Sleeping."
"Are you sure?" Genevieve asked.
"Yes. Just before we left here I remember seeing Mister Henry asleep through the crack in the curtain, but I was so worried that I didn't comprehend it properly. I bet as soon as we get out we are going to get ambushed."
"Do you have any self-defense weapons in the limo?" Genevieve asked calmly.
"Yes, of course." Sigismund mumbled. He pressed a button and a compartment with different types of guns and daggers appeared.
"OK, we have shotguns, pistols, wow! Look at this! We have machine guns! I think I'm going to go with the 9mm handgun, though it might be illegal - you know what, I'm not going to have a gun at all."
Genevieve thrust open the door and, as if on cue, a group of five girls nearing adulthood roared and charged at Genevieve, all with fencing épées in arm.
One thrusted her ép��es on to Genevieve's abdomen area, but, as quick as a flash, Genevieve executed a perfect back flip and dodged the blow. The attacker, startled, dropped her weapon and Genevieve snatched it, and started to duel. She was starting to lose, when Rose emerged from the car, and with a battle cry, kicked a dueler right on the shin, then, while it was distracted, kicked the épée right of her hand. She caught it midair, and started to duel alongside Genevieve.
"Two down," Rose screamed, "Three to go!"
While the two were dueling, Hilda was looking at the older girls. They were wary of actually touching Genevieve and Rose, and whenever they had to they did light taps. Which wasn't often, because Genevieve and Rose were so good at dodging. Genevieve and Rose were just down to one girl now. And she was good. But Hilda had an idea.
Calmly, she emerged from the car, and walked to the group. Hilda brushed of Genevieve and Rose from the way and stood right in front of the last attacker, without moving a muscle.
"Hilda!" Genevieve whispered.
"Hilda, don't be an idiot," Rose warned.
But Hilda ignored her. The girl had frozen. Hilda took her chance.
"Hi-yah!" she screamed, as she stole the last sword.
"Five minutes and twenty three seconds, Hannah."
"What?" Genevieve, Rose and Hilda asked.
"She's Hilda, not Hannah," Rose blurted, then she covered her mouth quickly when she realized that Hannah had to be one of the bigger girls that were attacking them.
"This was a test, wasn't it?" Hilda asked defiantly. "Was it really necessary to lure us with a fake call and a mechanical dummy that they use in CPR?"
"It worked, didn't it?" Hannah grinned cheesily.
"Oh, for god's sake." Rose mumbled angrily.
"Who are you and what do you want?" Genevieve growled.
"I'm Hannah Redding, heiress to Redding's supermarket chain."
"So?" Genevieve asked, annoyed. "I'm the heiress to Huang Corp! What difference does it make?"
"I go to Blackwood Academy for Girls," Hannah continued, a grin slowly forming on her face.
"So will we in a month!" Rose cried.
"I'm also the Chairperson for the Dueling Club. And you have passed the test."