Chapter 4
The Fraggle Five made their way back into the Rock with their minds spinning with questions.
"What did Madame Trash Heap mean by that?" Gobo asked.
Mokey shrugged. "She could have meant any number of things, Gobo, she is all-knowing."
"More or less," Red said.
"I’m sure whatever she meant has something to do with death and pestilence," Boober sighed.
"You think everything has something to do with death and pestilence!" Red said.
"That’s because it usually does," Boober said.
"No it doesn’t," Wembley said. Boober shot him a shocked look. "Or... does it?"
"Well, I don’t know about the rest of you," Gobo said. "But I need some time to think about what Madame Heap said. I’m gonna go get my Uncle Matt’s postcard. You coming Wembley?"
"I guess," Wembley said. "Unless of course you don’t want me to Gobo, then I won’t go, but if you want me to go, Gobo I–"
"Just c’mon, Wembley," Gobo said taking the right tunnel while Mokey, Red, and Boober took the left.
"Hey, wait up!" Wembley shouted, running after Gobo.
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"Mokey, do you really believe what Cantus said?" Red asked.
"Of course I do Red," Mokey said. "If Cantus said it, it’s probably true, but if Madame Trash Heap said it as well, it has to be true!"
"I don’t know Mokey, it all seems a little fishy to me," Red said.
"I agree," Boober said. "The only things certain in this world are death and laundry, that’s what I always say."
"But Boober," Mokey said. "The horrible thing Cantus and Madame Heap were talking about could be death or laundry."
Boober shuddered. "I’ll take the latter any day, just leave me out of the first!"
"Well I think everyone’s just over reacting," Red said.
Red, Mokey, and Boober made their way in the Great Hall, where Fraggles were running around like crazy with wagons full of their possessions.
"What are you Fraggles doing?" Red asked.
"Panicking!" shouted one of the Fraggles.
"Finally, something that makes sense," Boober said.
Large Marvin walked towards the group of three Fraggles with a large wagon full of food. "Careful Feenie," Marvin said. "You’ll lose my lunch!"
"Alright Large Marvin, I’ll be careful!" Feenie Fraggle called from the pushing end of the wagon.
"Large Marvin, what are you doing?" Red asked.
"Vacating this cursed place!" Marvin said.
"What do you mean cursed?" Mokey asked. "Fraggle Rock isn’t cursed!"
"Unless you count the endless dancing and singing and general good feeling it gives off," Boober said.
"You heard Cantus," Marvin said. "He said the Rock is doomed!"
"No he didn’t!" Red said.
"Sure he did, didn’t he Feenie?" Marvin asked.
"I don’t remember," Feenie said.
"Well he implied it anyway," Marvin said.
Red groaned and rolled her eyes. "What these Fraggles need is a good talking to!" she said with a huff, making her way to the raised area where Cantus made his speech earlier.
"Why do I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well?" Boober asked.
"You always have that feeling, silly," Mokey said.
"Oh yeah."
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Cotterpin rode through the cavern Doozer structures on her bike. "I’ll find out what those Fraggles are up to, even if I no one else believes me!"
She rode past Wrench’s construction site. Wrench spotted her and ran to catch up with her. "Cotterpin! Cotterpin wait!" he shouted after her.
Cotterpin stopped her bike and looked back at Wrench. "Listen Wrench, I really can’t talk right now, I’ve gotta go see what the Fraggles are up to."
"But Cotterpin, you’re supposed to be monitoring tunnel squad 81A!" Wrench told her.
Cotterpin rolled her eyes. "I really don’t have time for this Wrench, if I let you come with me will you forget that I’m supposed to be with tunnel squad 81A?"
"But Cotterpin, this isn’t–"
"Are ya comin’ or not?" Cotterpin asked.
Wrench sighed. "I guess." Wrench hopped on the back of Cotterpin’s bike as she rode off through the caverns.
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Pa and Junior were shrunk down behind a wheelbarrow (which actually didn’t conceal them all that well), avoiding the rampant hurling of house appliances.
"Junior, I don’t know how much longer our fort can hold up against your mother’s wrath," Pa said.
"Well maybe if you just apologized to her–" Junior said.
"What? How could you even think of such a crazy thing, Junior!" Pa shouted. "A male Gorg neverand I mean never apologizes to a female!"
Junior blinked and stared awkwardly at his father. "Well dat’s silly!"
"Silly? You think this is silly?" Pa shouted. "This isn’t a game, boy! This is war!"
"But Pa!" Junior whined. "It’s just Ma!"
"That’s the point nit-wit!" Pa shouted, whacking Junior in the back of the head.
"So... war... against Ma?" Junior asked.
"That’s what marriage is!" Pa said.
Junior’s face opened up in fright. "Then why do you want me to find a queen?"
Pa put his hand on Junior’s back. "So that someday you can share experiences like this with your son."
A teapot soared over Junior’s head. "Yeah well, when I have a son, I’ll do t’ings differntly!"
"Be quiet, Junior!" Pa said. "Or your mother’ll find our location!"
"Pa! She can see us pewfectly!" Junior said.
"That’s preposterous, Junior! There is no way she could–"
"Get out from behind that wheelbarrow and be a man!" Ma screached.
"Drat! We’ve been spotted!" Pa groaned. "Quickly Junior, we’re changing our base!"
"But Pa–"
"No buts Junior! This is a life or death situation!" Pa said.
Junior groaned and followed Pa as he crawled along the garden path behind the large rock referred to in Gorgish myth and wisdom as Kissing Rock, which had been discovered by the Gorgs to be infested with Fraggles.
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Gobo and Wembley made their way through the caverns on their way to Doc’s apartment.
"You know what I love about the tunnels to Doc’s new home, Gobo?" Wembley asked.
"What’s that Wembley?" Gobo asked.
"No pipes sticking out of the walls of me to hit my head–" Wembley’s head smacked right into a low rock sticking out of the wall. "Ow," he groaned.
"Yup, no pipes," Gobo said.
He and Wembley walked through the Fraggle hole finally emerging into Doc’s desert apartment. Sprocket was snoozing in his doggy bed. "Sh," Gobo said. "Let’s not bother waking Sprocket."
Gobo walked over to the small wastebasket next to a desk, he’d grown so accustumed to getting Uncle Matt’s postcard out of the garbage, Doc just continued putting it there. Gobo fumbled through the trash, looking for the postcard.
"Wembley... it’s not here!" Gobo said.
"Again?" Wembley asked. "That makes it two weeks since you got your last postcard."
"Two and a half," Gobo said softly.
"I wonder what happened to Uncle Matt... do you think he has the Pebble Pox?" Wembley asked.
"I... I don’t know Wembley," Gobo said worriedly. "It could be anything..."
"Uh oh..." Wembley said.
"Wait a minute!" Gobo said, looking directly ahead of him. "Do you think... maybe this is the big tragedy that Cantus and Madame Trash Heap are talking about!"
"You think so?" Wembley asked. "Really?"
"I don’t know Wembley, but it’s the only lead we’ve got! C’mon, let’s go ask Cantus!" Gobo said, running back into the Fraggle hole.
Wembley darted after Gobo. "Hey, wait for–" Wembley ran into the same low rock again. "Oomph!"
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