THE CHAMPIONS 7
The Decider
The three Champions were lined up on the bank of the pond near to one of the deeper parts and each Owner was busy cuffing his Champion's ankles about fifteen centimetres apart. James would still have been giving it mouth if Jamie had not finally got fed up with his parentage being questioned and positioned the willow gag back where he decided that it belonged. Fear is a great teacher and it was amazing how quiet James became in the hopes that Jamie might relent before he had to swim bound as he was, a trial he had become convinced that he would have to undergo. Once all the Owners had finished, Aiden outlined the rules while Jamie undid the padlocks.
"One, competitors will dive or jump in. Two, the first one to touch that big oak tree on the island wins."
Harry was used to such rough games in his own Sea Scout Troop and Scott had been subjected to the ordeal once before and was convinced that he was man enough to take it. James panicked.
"What was that, James? Oh, don't worry, I'll be right there alongside you. I fancy a swim." That was news to George who realised that he'd have to accompany Scott. James wasn't much consoled.
"Are you really going to make him swim while he's gagged?" George was incredulous.
"Not if he asks nicely."
Aiden affirmed that Jamie was all heart.
James tried asking nicely. Even wearing a bit gag, it was perfectly possible to understand what he was trying to say but Jamie seemed to have difficulty understanding his former Champion. So James tried again. He was desperate.
"No, sorry mate, can't quite get that. You'll have to show me more clearly. How about begging?" James was that desperate that he crashed to his knees and asked again. Jamie tried to hide a sigh of relief; he didn't really want to make James swim like that and not only because it would be handicapping his champion. He got the result he wanted without having to rely on Aiden's being more sensible than to allow him to do that to James.
Jamie pointed out how generous he was, pulled his Champion to his feet and cut the cord that held the tormenting willow stick in his mouth. As they waited for the Owners to get round to starting the event, Harry and Scott reassured their competitor that there was no real danger, especially as Jamie would be wading/swimming alongside him. James was still not much consoled by the time Jamie counted, "Take your marks, - - - GO!"
Harry didn't hesitate. There was a strong favourite for the event and he was well underway before Aiden had time to jump in to ensure his safety. Scott, with George shortly behind him, wasn't much behind the skinny Sea Scout but James was very slow on the uptake. Jamie was "encouraging" him to do his best; he didn't want to lose the contest between himself and Aiden. Actually, after James had seen how Harry was undulating and made himself jump in, Jamie's threats moderated and he became genuinely encouraging and reassuring.
Harry was a skilled swimmer but Scott was stronger and, even though he was less familiar with the bizarre event, he started to erode Harry's lead. James made steady progress, taking rests supported by his Owner when he needed to and even gradually became more confident. Having seen what had happened to Harry at the end of the scavenger hunt, he didn't dare hope that Jamie would let him off. If Jamie was going to have to suffer, James was certain that he would have to suffer more.
OK, so it's obvious who was going to lose the contest but first place was very keenly contested. Harry stood against the south bank of the island a mere second or so before Scott. He flattened is skinny chest and abdomen on the ground and awkwardly lifted his legs out of the water and tried to shuffle himself round. Once he'd got his right leg on dry land, his progress became easier. He took a quick look to see how Scott was doing. He had a decision to make, should he try to stand or not? It was a good six metres to the oak and Scott had landed nearer to it than he had.
Scott saw that Harry had reached the island before him but also that he was nearer the target than his rival. Unfortunately, he made some wrong decisions and was still trying to climb onto the island as Harry decided to roll his way to the target. So, that was Harry first, Scott second and James still swimming.
George and Aiden swam across to where James was gradually making progress and started providing genuine encouragement. It was the first time James thought that he wasn't being treated like complete shit. It actually reassured him that he could succeed and he soon did so. All things, however, come to an end and, as soon as the last of the Champions reached the bank, the laughter resumed as James struggled to beach himself.
Once he had attained is target, the atmosphere seemed to change again and the cheers of the other five boys were genuine and even Jamie ruffled his hair with a quiet, "Well done, Mush." An exhausted, and much relieved James simply nodded his head.
Post Mortem #3
There were no appeals so the result was clear, so was the result of the competition between Aiden and Jamie: Aiden had obviously won. Jamie extended his hand. The next thing that needed deciding was the nature of any forfeit that James should suffer for losing the swimming event and the consequences for Jamie of losing the Owners' challenge. It was decided to delay the decisions until after dinner when they were away from the island again. It was then that Aiden remembered that Harry still had a forfeit to pay.
George assumed that, now that the contest was over, he should untie Scott but Scott pulled away from his erstwhile Owner. "Oi, Harry, fancy a side bet?"
"What?
"I nearly had you on that swim. Bet I could beat you to the bank." The other boys immediately took an interest. The conditions were agreed. The swimmers had to jump in on Jamie's call. First one to touch the "mainland" wins. James wondered how he was going to be expected to return.
Scott and Harry embarked upon a bout of friendly insults as they sat and waited for the others to be ready. Jamie agreed to release James's ankles so that he could wade most of the way back and the sportsmen were soon ready for the next contest. James declined Jamie's offer to use the rope that had only just been removed from his ankles as a dog-lead and reminded him that he couldn't afford to escape unless he wanted to be represented as a welcher. Jamie wasn't entirely convinced but he knew that, all the while James was tied up, he was still at a considerable disadvantage.
Back to Shore
Jamie suggested that he take James back first and that he started the race from the other side of the water. That sounded like a good idea to Aiden and George, who had confirmed that, with the main contest over, he wouldn't have to suffer alongside Scott if he lost. Jamie looped the unused rope around his neck and started wading with James by his side. When it came to the deep section, James was the first to start swimming. Jamie helped him out of the water and onto the bank and James was feeling quite proud of himself.
"OK Blondie, on your belly." James's smug mood broke. Jamie was taking no chances on losing his erstwhile Champion and soon-to-be fellow in adversity. James submitted, rolled over and soon had his ankles crossed and bound, none too strictly to his wrists. He turned down Jamie's kind offer to insert that willow stick again.
Jamie was in a generous mood and turned his prisoner so that he was facing the action even if his grandstand view was at a rather low level one and impeded by the summer's growth of what Harry called wild plants and the rest of the boys called weeds.
The Swimming Challenge
Once Jamie and James had returned to the "Mainland", Scott and Harry struggled to their feet and hopped, to the bank. Their Owners saw no reason to spoil their sport by helping them but they did offer to tread on their toes if they overstepped the start line. Jamie finished securing James and turned to face the contestants. "Take your marks, - GO!"
Scott leaped in like a kingfisher with Harry being a bit more circumspect. Scott knew he could beat the garrulous Sea Scout! Harry's experience showed and he simply gradually overtook Scott until he head-butted the shore a good ten seconds before him. Both boys climbed up onto the bank and caught their breath for a few minutes.
"Ohhha Maaan!"
"You Land Farmers won't learn, will you? Didn't you know I was only doing enough to make sure I beat you before?"
"OK, don't rub it in. What's my penalty?"
"Let's wait and see, shall we? I think there's other things to be settled first. I seem to think that I won a certain contest earlier on. Doesn't that mean that I'm about to be untied?" Harry looked expectantly towards the winning Owner.
Post Mortem #4
"Hey, lads, who else is fed up with this Sailor Boy's gob as far as Scouts are concerned?"
"Oh come on, that's not part of the conditions."
"Change the conditions, all in favour?" I don't know how they counted the votes but it seems that there was a majority in favour, including one voter who couldn't raise his arm.
"Aw' righ' aw' righ', but what about him?" Harry nodded desperately towards James, trying to divert attention from himself.
"Fff, oooh, - - I think we can handle both of you." Even Harry was having difficulty shrugging this off having been so near, or so he thought to being granted his freedom.
"And there's that forfeit for losing the scavenger hunt as well, don't forget."
Harry sighed and his shoulders sagged as much as his bonds would allow. This required some quick thinking before the others took to the obvious recourse of gagging him. He could already see James trying, without success, to avoid the willow stick again. Oh well, nothing ventured . . .
Just before Aiden managed to locate the stress ball again and offer it up to Harry's mouth, he made his best play. "Listen, no, listen just for a minute and, if you don't like my proposition, you can do what you like."
"Tell me, Aiden, can't we already do what we like in any case?"
"Do you know, Jamie, I that believe we can. What do you think, George?"
"No, but listen, honest, you'll like this."
"You've got thirty seconds. Time him, Jamie." Aiden knelt on one knee with the stress ball at the ready.
"Well, what we got for dinner?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"No, listen, how do you fancy some nice fresh fish?"
"Twenty seconds."
"No fishing rods."
"Don't need 'em."
"Huh?"
"Just give me enough time to explain and I'll get you a fresh fish supper."
Jamie held the countdown and Aiden held the ball still. This sounded like too good an offer to refuse and it would even provide a good excuse for torturing Harry even more if he was bullshitting.
Harry explained and the others (including Scott), accepted his offer.
"But that should only go for the scavenger hunt. He's still got to pay for dissing our Scout Troop."
"Yea but we can do both of them two at once." James knew there was no point arguing his case, especially now he was sporting that willow gag once more and Harry spent some time weighing up the advisability of arguing any further. Once he'd considered his situation, he decided that it wasn't because Jamie was certainly right about his tormentors being able to do whatever they wanted to him in any case.
Aiden gave him time to think then made the offer. "Deal?"
"Deal!" Normally a deal would be settled with a handshake or a mutual hand-slap but that wouldn't have been easy for Harry so Aiden sealed the deal with a little slap round Harry's head.
Harry thought he'd push his luck. "Scott owes me a forfeit, how do I know that you bastards won't let him go until I've done my time?"
Almost in unison, Aiden, Jamie, George and even Scott answered "Scout's Honour". That was good enough for Harry but James rather wished that he could have his word of honour respected like that. Nevertheless, to paraphrase a Russian diplomat, "Yes, trust but certify". and no one made a move to release Scott. He didn't seem to mind and had crawled across to sit against the keep.
"'T's aw right, use that belt on my feet if the Sailor Boy insists." Harry didn't but George could take a hint. It didn't look as though anybody had won anything by the time all three Champions were sitting side by side with their ankles crossed and strapped up tightly once more. Harry was chomping on the stress ball 'just to be fair to James' but Scott had kept quiet; even he thought he deserved a gag off for good behaviour and, in any case, he might have some suggestions to make concerning the treatment of his fellows.
Procrastinate Now!
OK, so everything had been assessed and some key decisions had been reached. However, Aiden, Jamie and George were getting itchy fingers, they REALLY wanted to persuade James of the error of his ways so it was decided to delay the decision about how Aiden and James were to pay for losing the overall challenge until later. It made sense, of course it did. That way Harry would have paid his debt to society and could be freed to deal with Scott. Perfect: fair and logical - and they got to torment James immediately.
"Jamie?"
"Yeah?"
"You know those Speedos?" George indicated James, who immediately became keen to hear what was being said.
"You want them back?"
"Nah, only got them for the blonde gob-shite."
"Well, . . ." George made a proposition. James didn't like what he was hearing.
TBC