46 Friends Reunited

46 Friends Reunited Peanut made her way around the siege-tower lorry, closely followed by Rockwell and Little-Bit. The noise on the front line was incredible— the thwup- thwup of helicopter blades, the whoosh of flying arrows, the splash of exploding ink bombs, all underpinned by the thundering roar of the approaching Big X. Peanut thought that the Resistance's task seemed even more impossible when viewed at close quarters. The area immediately behind the archers was a hive of activity. Paint-splattered Resistance operatives were being tended to, weapons were being repaired, and the siege equipment was being fortified. The hamsters were back in the wheel, lowering the trebuchet cradle as quickly as

they could, while operatives prepared another charcoal missile. Peanut spotted the Markmakers and Josephine looking anxious ten metres to their left. They were studying a large sheet of paper and talking animatedly. She got the impression that the battle wasn't going very well. 'DOODLE!' shouted Little-Bit, suddenly running towards a small figure that emerged from a group of soldiers to their left. Sure enough, it was their canine friend, wearing a flak jacket, a helmet with the word 'AMMUNITION' stencilled across it, and carrying a fresh tin of paint in his mouth. He put down the tin and wagged his tail when he saw the children, who all made a big fuss of him.

'It's great to see you, boy,' said Little-Bit. Even Rockwell welcomed the licks, mainly because they momentarily took his mind off the fact that were in the middle of a huge battle that they couldn't possibly win. 'I am sure you lot aren't meant to be here,' said a soft, friendly voice behind them. The four of them turned around and were greeted by a sight that made them smile ear to ear. ' JONATHAN HIGGINBOTTOM!' they said in unison.