“No,” shouted back Captain Arnold, after a quick look round his own plane. “I said he was to go with you. The White Swallow isn’t big enough for more than four.”
Ranni went white. He loved the little Prince better than anyone else in the world — and here they were, about to take off from the mountain-top without Paul! Whatever in the world had become of him?
Ranni leapt out of the plane. Nora called to him. “Look. Isn’t that Paul over there in the temple?”
Ranni rushed towards the temple, imagining that all kinds of dreadful things were happening to the little prince. He took out his gun, quite determined to give the whole of the Mountain Folk the worst shock of their lives if they were taking little Paul a prisoner again!
Nobody but Paul was in the temple. He was in a corner struggling with something. Ranni gave a roar.
“Paul! What is it? We nearly went without you!”
Paul stood up. In his arms was the beautiful shimmering robe of golden cloth that he had worn the day before, and over his shoulder he had slung his sun-ray headdress. Young Paul was determined to take those back to school with him, to show his admiring friends. How else would they believe him when he told them of his great adventure?
He had slipped away from his party when no one was looking, for he had felt certain that Captain Arnold would say no, if he asked if he might go and get the garments. The clothes had been difficult to gather up and carry, and Paul did not realise that the planes were starting off so soon!
“Hallo, Ranni! I just went to get these sun-clothes of mine,” said Paul. “You haven’t seen them, Ranni. Look, you must….”
But to Paul’s enormous astonishment Ranni gave him a resounding slap, picked up the boy, clothes and all, and ran back to the big blue and silver plane with him. The Mountain Folk, seeing Ranni run, began to jabber, and one or two picked up their spears.