"Headline news - Her Royal Highness Princess Luvika-Laviszania Bulygina was kidnapped last night, in full view of her family, at a ball being held in honour of her family in Juniper Forest, Jagen Tlanopé. Since then, there have been no sightings of the Princess, and her family are growing increasingly concerned. The county's best private investigators have been hired to work on the case, and are cooperating with the police. It must be stressed that if anyone sees the girl, then they must contact the police immediately." The newsreader looked rather concerned.
"Moses! Have you seen this?" Noah shouted, staring at the TV. There was no answer, so he tried again. "Moses!"
"What are you talking about?" Moses asked, trudging into the sitting room and yawning. His eyes fixed on Noah, and he frowned. "You're in my armchair." He said.
"Oh Moses, I'm sure it doesn't matter-"
"Get out of my armchair." Noah let out a long sigh, and then stood up, to allow his flatmate to shuffle into the chair, wincing whenever he moved his ankle. He took a moment to regain his composure after the effort of sitting down, but then he looked at Noah. "What were you saying?" He asked.
"One of the Bulygina Princesses has been kidnapped! Last night, in Juniper Forest."
"That's not far from here." Moses frowned. "What did the news say about it?"
"Just that her family witnessed it, because it was during some kind of ball, and that if anyone sees her, they are to contact the police immediately."
"Obviously."
"But there's been no sightings so far."
"Ah." Moses tapped his arm with one of his long, thin fingers. "Who have they got working on the case? Just the police?"
"Private investigators too."
"But they're getting nowhere?"
"Not so far as I know."
"That is troubling." Moses said, never ceasing to tap his arm as he pondered all the information he had just been given. "I don't suppose you think it has anything to do with the key we received, do you?" Noah shook his head.
"No - why would it?"
"Well, it just seems very strange that the poem talks about a jewel and setting her free, and then that same night a Princess goes missing just a few miles away from us."
Noah sat down, opposite to Moses, and thought about it. His eyebrows knitted together as he reflected on the possibility that Moses could be right. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he was. But surely it is far too improbable - what do we have to do with a Princess? Noah thought to himself. But the forest really isn't far from here, and whoever left us that note was creepy enough and stealthy enough to break into our flat without leaving any sign of himself. He came to the eventual conclusion that it was possible.
"But if you are right, then what should we do? Should we hand the key and the note in to the police?"
"Certainly not!" Moses snapped, looking offended at the thought that Noah would even suggest handing it over. "We can't leave something so important to the police! Whoever left that key in our flat intended it to be a personal challenge for us to find the 'jewel' and set her free. Giving it to the police would completely devalue that."
"But it was probably left by some psychopathic child abductor!"
"Even if it was, they left us a challenge and we have to honour it. I have read many a detective novel - I'm sure we could do some sleuthing by ourselves."
"I'm really sure we couldn't, Moses. Where would we even start?"
"At the forest, of course. After we've done a bit of background research on the girl and her family."
"The forest will be filled with police, and God knows what else. It's not safe, and if they catch us snooping around, we'll probably get arrested for involvement."
"Not if we're clever. We shall just have to do our detective work from a place of concealment." Moses was working himself up into a great excitement, and Noah could see that there was no way he would be able to convince him not to become a secret investigator on this case. He was just going to have to go along with it, and try and keep them both out of trouble.
"Moses! Have you seen this?" Noah shouted, staring at the TV. There was no answer, so he tried again. "Moses!"
"What are you talking about?" Moses asked, trudging into the sitting room and yawning. His eyes fixed on Noah, and he frowned. "You're in my armchair." He said.
"Oh Moses, I'm sure it doesn't matter-"
"Get out of my armchair." Noah let out a long sigh, and then stood up, to allow his flatmate to shuffle into the chair, wincing whenever he moved his ankle. He took a moment to regain his composure after the effort of sitting down, but then he looked at Noah. "What were you saying?" He asked.
"One of the Bulygina Princesses has been kidnapped! Last night, in Juniper Forest."
"That's not far from here." Moses frowned. "What did the news say about it?"
"Just that her family witnessed it, because it was during some kind of ball, and that if anyone sees her, they are to contact the police immediately."
"Obviously."
"But there's been no sightings so far."
"Ah." Moses tapped his arm with one of his long, thin fingers. "Who have they got working on the case? Just the police?"
"Private investigators too."
"But they're getting nowhere?"
"Not so far as I know."
"That is troubling." Moses said, never ceasing to tap his arm as he pondered all the information he had just been given. "I don't suppose you think it has anything to do with the key we received, do you?" Noah shook his head.
"No - why would it?"
"Well, it just seems very strange that the poem talks about a jewel and setting her free, and then that same night a Princess goes missing just a few miles away from us."
Noah sat down, opposite to Moses, and thought about it. His eyebrows knitted together as he reflected on the possibility that Moses could be right. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that he was. But surely it is far too improbable - what do we have to do with a Princess? Noah thought to himself. But the forest really isn't far from here, and whoever left us that note was creepy enough and stealthy enough to break into our flat without leaving any sign of himself. He came to the eventual conclusion that it was possible.
"But if you are right, then what should we do? Should we hand the key and the note in to the police?"
"Certainly not!" Moses snapped, looking offended at the thought that Noah would even suggest handing it over. "We can't leave something so important to the police! Whoever left that key in our flat intended it to be a personal challenge for us to find the 'jewel' and set her free. Giving it to the police would completely devalue that."
"But it was probably left by some psychopathic child abductor!"
"Even if it was, they left us a challenge and we have to honour it. I have read many a detective novel - I'm sure we could do some sleuthing by ourselves."
"I'm really sure we couldn't, Moses. Where would we even start?"
"At the forest, of course. After we've done a bit of background research on the girl and her family."
"The forest will be filled with police, and God knows what else. It's not safe, and if they catch us snooping around, we'll probably get arrested for involvement."
"Not if we're clever. We shall just have to do our detective work from a place of concealment." Moses was working himself up into a great excitement, and Noah could see that there was no way he would be able to convince him not to become a secret investigator on this case. He was just going to have to go along with it, and try and keep them both out of trouble.