Chapter 30 - Easter in Seville

Still hiding under his Chameleon Cloth, but risking the occasional glance into the area just outside his doorway, he waits for the sun to go down. He thinks things will be quieter then and he can somehow find a better hiding place. How wrong can he be? When the sun is down, the air gets cooler and the Spaniards take to the streets in their hundreds.

Still, it also makes it easier for him to walk about. The Spaniards are far too busy talking, drinking and eating from the street side stalls to notice a small being like him. As is the custom among Spaniards, children are allowed out till at least midnight when the weather permits, so Gammelnok is hardly noticed at all.

He walks about, enjoying the atmosphere when he is approached by a small group of urchins, dressed in shabby clothes and with grimy faces. They look like they are up to mischief. They are curious but do not appear to be afraid of him. He is beaconed to follow them. Having nothing better to do, Gammelnok obliges.

They mingle through the crowds of adults. Nobody notices them. Every now and then, they manage to snatch some food or sweets from a stall without getting caught. Sharing their goodies with Gammelnok, they eventually reach their favourite hideout on the edge of the Feria ground.

Time now for introductions and for the leader to outline his master plan for the following evening. He says they are going to try and abduct the son of the Mayor and hold him for ransom. They will hide him not far away in a culvert he knows. It is part of the storm drain system protecting that area during the rainy season. Halfway up a small hillside and hidden among eucalyptus trees and oleander bushes, it is dry and should serve until the ransom is paid and the boy is released.

Sounds simple enough but Gammelnok is sceptical. What will they demand as ransom? How will they keep their prisoner from escaping until it is paid? Surely a search would be started by the locals and the police. It all sounded a bit amateurish.

Anyway, it was decided that it should happen the following evening being Friday. Friday being the favourite night out for the Spaniards, giving them two long days to recover before it was time to go back to work again on the Monday. The squares and Feria ground would be crowded and an abduction would or should be easy. 

Gammelnok used the time until Friday evening to study the five urchins. Three were boys and two were girls. All seemed to be of school age but whether they attended was dubious. The two girls appeared quiet and content to be subservient to the leader. The remaining two boys were looking up to the leader, probably hoping for favours in return for obedience.

All were like ragamuffins, dirty faces and grimy clothes which looked like they had been picked from rubbish bins. The girls though seemed to take some pride in their appearance, having combed their long dark curly hair. The boys took pride in looking rough and tough.

It was time for Gammelnok to ask questions about the forthcoming action. The leader explained the plan in detail. They would sneak up on the mayor's son, surround him and goose-step him discreetly to the edge of the Feria ground. They would then tie his hands behind his back and march him to the culvert where he would be kept until the ransom was paid. He would then be released unharmed apart from his dented pride.

So far so good thought Gammelnok. But what would the ransom be? How would it be paid, delivered and collected?

When asked, the group seemed uncertain and without any real plan as to what they were going to demand for the return of the Mayor's son. Voices were raised, suggestions shouted. Confusion was the order of the day. The leader did not seem to have thought beyond the abduction and his leadership looked shaky.

Random suggestions were 5000 euros, 5 new mountain bikes, a skateboard park, no school forever. The bickering went on and on. Gammelnok thought to himself that he would just like to get to Sierra Nevada by November, whether on a skateboard, mountain bike or a tricycle.

In the end, Gammelnok had had enough and shouted for silence and attention.

"Here is what will benefit you in the long run" he said with all the authority he could muster. "You want to be included in one of the Marching bands, play your favourite instrument and sport a smart new uniform that will make you proud and your friends jealous and envious of all of you. It will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but most of all you must want to do it."

Mutterings and bickering ensued, but in the end the girls won the day. The leader of the gang relented and in order to maintain his authority, spoke up in favour of the ransom demand.

Step one completed, now the discussion focused on how and who should deliver the ransom note. It seemed obvious that the note be delivered to the town hall, but who would take on the task? Nobody in the group looked respectable enough to be allowed inside. Gammelnok looked the obvious choice, but he could not even reach the top of the reception counter to deliver the note. Maybe he could persuade a passer-by to do the job for him.

Step two decided, now for the abduction itself. It was scheduled for Friday which seemed ideal. What had not occurred to them was the fact that they could not deliver the ransom note until Monday morning, when the town hall opened for business. No-one knew where the Mayor lived so they had yet another problem.

However, they decided to write the note in advance and once the abduction was successful, one of the girls would sneak back into town and slip the note into the hand of the Mayor, making a quick escape in the crowd.

Step three decided, they now needed to work out how the authorities could contact them to ensure demands would be met and their hostage released without giving away their hiding place.

They decide on the Triana market Saturday noon. The leader had a friend working in one of the stalls and they would leave the instructions with him, asking the Mayor to collect from there. All negotiations would be handled by hand written notes through this market stall until demands were met and the release completed.

So, all is in place for Friday evening which is the following day.