The best thing about being a pigeon is being able to blend in with all the other ones in the civilized world. A civilized pigeon did have it’s advantages, but as Blabber would soon find out, it had it’s disadvantages, too.

“You mean people come and feed you?” Blabber asked a city pigeon, pecking away at his lunch at a park in Portland, Oregon.

“What planet are you from, Mac?” the city pigeon replied.

“I’m not from around here,” Blabber said, as he looked around at all the city pigeons gathering around. “Have any of you heard of a bird called a Condor?”

“Nope,” said the first city pigeon, adding, “If your smart you’ll keep moving. This is a pigeon-eat-pigeon city, not big enough for newcomers. You could get beaked to death if you run into the wrong pigeon. If I were you I’d scram.”

“Boy, the city sure isn’t friendly - not like where I come from,” Blabber said sadly.

“Cinnibar, I hope I can find you. This is going to be harder than I thought,” he said to himself as he spread his wing to the southerly wind.

Wrong Wing was Sourgum’s closest aide. (He had no friends). He came to report what the Giant Termite spies overheard.

“Sir, uh Sir, I have some very important news. It seems that the Hibble Gibbles and the elves are leaving the forest. Something about the mountain erupting. Can you imagine that? I’ve never heard such nonsense.”

For a Giant termite, Sourgum was smart. He stood up quickly with a puzzled look on his face, and then he began talking (mostly to himself). “It doesn’t make sense... it just doesn’t make sense. We’ve tried to do everything to make them go away. We’ve raided their import and export business... we’ve spied on them... we even ruined Mana’s birthday party. We have done everything possible for generations to make them go away. And now, could it really be true? There is only one way to find out.”

“Wrong Wing, you must go capture one of those Hibble Gibbles and bring him to me. I must find out the truth. Don’t get just any of them; get the one that is always with Mana. Now fly away - hurry.”

“Yes sir, but just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“You know what happens when I try to fly. I just keep going around in circles. Could I run fast instead?”

“Whatever. Just make sure to take some other spies with you. I don’t want any mistakes. Now go!”

Peppercorn and Ditty Blossom had been childhood sweethearts. Their friendship had grown through the years and they were planning to be lifelong companions. This was to be sealed in a “Companion” ceremony on the night of summer solstice. Their plans had to be changed, due to the mountain erupting. They were going for a walk through the Bar-Roo forest for one of their last looks at its beauty.

“I have always dreamt of having our ceremony here in this forest,” Ditty said sadly. “I know that is not possible now, but it still makes me sad.”

“Don't worry, Ditty. We will be in our New Forest soon and you will be surprised how lovely it is. Just wait and see. I had the strangest feeling when Squeeky and I went there a few days ago. It was like everything was going to be all right. Actually, more than all right. I can’t explain it. Anyway, I promise as soon as everyone is safe and out of danger, we will have our ceremony there.”

“You know what luck it brings companions if they have their ceremony on the solstice. Do you think we can still have it then?”

“I will do everything in my power to make it happen then,” Peppercorn replied, as he gave Ditty a big hug.

The two did not realize it, but they had company. They were talking and not paying much attention to things when suddenly a rope was around Ditty. Before she knew it she was being tied to a tree and Peppercorn tied sideways to a pole.

“What are you doing? asked Peppercorn, hanging from the pole with his arms and legs tied around it.

“We are taking you to Sourgum. He wants to know about all this mountain business,” answered Wrong Wing.

“If you will let me loose I would be happy to walk.”

“Oh, no, I’m not stupid. If I let you go, you’d scurry up a Bar-Roo tree and I would not get to take you to Sourgum. I can’t have any mistakes.”

“Peppercorn, are you alright?” Ditty shouted.

“Yes I’m fine. I expect I’ll be gone for a few hours. Any longer than that you might have to send someone to find me. They are taking me to Sourgum, in the Big Fir...” Peppercorn’s voice faded away as they ran away with him.

“Lets get out of here,” Wrong Wing ordered. He secretly hated the Bar-Roo forest. It was spooky. What he didn’t know was all the other Giant Termites hated it, too.

“You said it,” the other spies joined in, their scrawny legs moving very fast.

It seemed as if the trees were alive. They always felt like they were being watched. When they were on spy detail, they would always go in pairs, mostly because it was too scary by themselves. Though they would never admit it, they weren’t really sure who was spying on whom.

As they returned to the Big Fir forest, Wrong Wing excitedly said, “Sir! Sir, we’ve captured him. The one they call Peppercorn!”

“Very good. Cut him loose so I can look him in the eye while I talk to him. But don’t go far away. I may need you. Those big feet can move fast when they want to!” ordered Sourgum, as he stood there with his hands on his ugly little hips.

“Ouch, those ropes hurt you know,” Peppercorn grumbled as he was cut loose rubbing his wrists and ankles.

“Yes, some of the rubbish you and the elves trade does come in handy once in a while. We’ve gotten quite a lot of usable lots when raiding your import and export business. I don’t care much for your Bar-Roo nuts - have a bitter taste to me,” Sourgum said with a smirk on his face. Then, with a start, he remembered why Peppercorn was there.

“I want to know the truth. And don’t try to lie to me because I will be looking you right in the eye. I always know when someone is lying. What is all this talk about the mountain erupting? Is it true? Or are you just trying to trick us so that we will leave and you wouldn’t have us bothering you anymore?”

Peppercorn looked this rotten, nasty insect straight in the eye and said, “As much as we would love to trick you into going away and leaving us alone, I must say that the mountain is in fact going to erupt. If there is a high place near here to see the mountain, I can explain it all to you.”

“You’d better not run away. My spied will catch you,” warned Sourgum.

“Don’t worry. If I wanted to, I could have left here as soon as I was let loose. Come, I’ll show you what I mean about the mountain.”

They walked to the top of a hill that had a view of the hole that had blasted through a few days before. On their way there the earth shook.

Sourgum grumbled. “I hate it when it does that.”

“It’s part of why the mountain is erupting,” Peppercorn said matter of factly.

“What are you talking about? What does the earth shaking have to do with the mountain exploding?”

“They are actually called harmonic tremors. It happens from the pressure building up at the core of the earth. Our mountain is very special. It is actually a stratovolcano which is formed by alternating layers of lava and ash that tend to seal the tremendous internal pressures...”

“Wait, hold it! What are you trying to tell me?” Sourgum asked impatiently.

“Look at how the mountain has a hole in it. Now look at the bulge it has formed on the north face. It is growing day by day and this type of mountain is going to explode with so much force there won’t be anything left for miles and miles,” Peppercorn concluded, very happy with himself.

Peppercorn had surprised himself. Ever since he had gone to the Mt. Rainier Bar-Roo forest he had a new found strength. He had always been afraid of the Giant Termites and especially of Sourgum. When he looked him in the eye he had no fear, only pity for the hard-shelled insect.

He concluded his explanation by saying, “When you see the Bar-Roo Forest bare it will be because the pressure has built up from the core of the earth and made all the nuts and leaves fall off the Bar-Roo trees. This only happens about one day before the mountain erupts. When this happens you must get as far away from the mountain as possible.”

“How do you know so much about volcanoes?” questioned Sourgum.

“Mana taught me all I know about volcanoes and everything else. He came from a planet that was made up of vol...”

“Mana,” interrupted Sourgum, with a sneer on his face and looked toward the Bar-Roo forest. “Yes, Mana was the first.”

“If that is all you want, I will be getting back to my forest. I don’t like it here and they will come looking for me if I’m not back soon.”

“The last thing I need is to have more of you Hibble Gibbles in my forest,” Sourgum grumped. “Be gone then and go back to your forest and your Mana and all that bothers me. I have some thinking to do.”

“Good-bye, Sourgum,” Peppercorn managed to smile and ran as fast as he could back to his forest.

“Good-bye, Sourgum,” mimicked Sourgum, trying to smile like Peppercorn did but his face could not smile. He had not ever smiled. This news gave him even less to think about smiling about.

Sourgum sat on the top of the hill as the sun began to set. Dusk was upon him. He looked at Mt. St. Helens and muttered to himself. “Stratovolcano, eh? It really is bulging…” Then he thought some more. “No elves... no spying...not raiding the import export business... no Hibble Gibbles... no Bar-Roo forest... no Mana...” Then he stood up and shouted, “NO MANA?”

If anyone could have seen him all alone in the dark they would have sworn there was a smile on Sourgum’s crusty face.

End of Chapter 3

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