The Great Regatta

Chapter Eleven

The first person they met in Kairouan was Angus MacFusty.

'Hoo did ye get here!?' he asked.

'The route's changed a bit,' Blaise said. 'And how did you get here? I thought you were visiting the European Continent.'

'I didna say that, noo did Ah?' Angus grinned.

'You didn't,' Blaise admitted. 'Eve, this is the gentleman from La Coruna, Angus MacFusty of Spanzedell. Spanzedell, this is the Hon. Evelyn Ravenscroft who we met in Marseilles. He asks to call him Eve.'

'Glad to meet you,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Glad tae meet ye,' Angus said.

'I've heard many good things of you,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

And Blaise led them to look at the enormous Sidi Okba Mosque, the largest mosque in all the North Africa, founded in the 8^th century, rebuilt in 9^th and reconstructed many times, the oldest minaret in the world, the Mosque of Three Doors, and the Aghlabid reservoirs.

'Kairouan was the capital of the Umayyad province of Ifriqiya,' Blaise said. 'Then it was the capital of the Aghlabid State, till the capital was moved to Mahmudiya. And Kairouan is one of the cities that are holy for the Moslems.''

'A bonny city,' Angus said. 'An' hoo are ye wi' Avery?'

'Well ahead of him.' Justin grinned. 'We just have to arrive first to Edinburgh.'

'Ah ken ye wull.' Angus smiled.

'Thanks for trusting me.' Justin smiled.

They had couscous and Arabic coffee in a quiet tavern.

'Ah'll bet on ye,' Angus said. 'Lads lik' ye are suir tae win.'

'Thank you, Spanzedell,' Justin said. 'I'll do my best to.'

'An' hoo's auld Fonsie?' Angus asked.

'He didn't manage to get lost again.' Justin smiled.

'Guid.' Angus grinned.

'You know, it's good they had enough sense to change the route,' Blaise said. 'Algeria is an interesting country, but Algiers is nothing special.'

'An' if they hadna, we wouldna hae met again,' Angus said.

'Fez is nowhere near the sea coast, and an appearance of yachts would cause questions there, unfortunately,' Blaise said. 'Fez is a very interesting city, the old capital of Morocco.'

'Well, there is enough of interestin' old cities on the coasts of the Mediterranean, as it is,' the Hon. Evelyn said.

'Still, when the regatta is over, we can fly overland to Fez and conceal our yacht somewhere,' Blaise said thoughtfully.

'But you're sly, Blaise!' Justin said.

'Well, what else can I be?' Blaise winked.

'Or we can go to Timbuktu, as somebody suggested,' Justin said.

The next morning they sailed away. Angus waved them goodbye on the pier. They flew freely along the picturesque mountainous coasts of Tunisia. Avery was laying himself out to pass Justin, but Justin wasn't letting him to.

'Malta's starboard,' Justin said wistfully. 'We can go there afterwards, too.'

Along the mountainous coast of Algeria, they went at their cruising speed. Avery did his utmost to pass them. Justin was holding his ground. They darted into the Straits of Gibraltar and then into the English Channel.

'You're nearly there, Juss! Hold on!' Blaise cried.

Justin flashed along the coasts of the Eastern England and, just ahead of Lord Avery, floated into the little bay near Edinburgh.

An enormous crowd on the shore greeted him with a mighty roar.

'And the Champion is Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley from Gloucestershire, England!' an announcer cried. 'Cyprian, Lord Avery, is the second, and Mr. Algernon Wymondham is the third!'

'We did it,' Justin said.

'I imagine Avery's face,' Blaise added.

* * * * *

The Assembly Hall of the Edinburgh Wizard Yacht Club was full of people. Justin, Blaise and Trevor were waiting. Near them was Algie Wymondham, accompanied by Cousin Sylvester, and Lord Avery, alone and sour-faced.

'Came third, eh, Algie?' Justin asked. 'Not bad.'

'Yes.' Algie grinned. 'And Avery's the second!'

Mr. Scott came forward, holding the prize in his hands.

'Would Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley, Lord Avery and Mr. Algernon Wymondham please step out?' Mr. Scott said.

Justin stepped forward proudly, Algie followed him. Lord Avery came after them, seething.

'I have the honor to present Mr. Justin Finch-Fletchley, the captain of the yacht Helga, with the prize, the Golden Hippogriff!' Mr. Scott announced.

The fine chords of God Save the Queen sounded, and Mr. Scott handed to Justin a fine gold sculpture of a hippogriff. Justin clasped it proudly.

'Cyprian, Lord Avery, the captain of the yacht Manticore, has the second place, and Mr. Algernon Wymondham, the captain of Stella Maris, has the third!'

Algie grinned as the anthem sounded for him, and Lord Avery only scowled.

Justin went back to his friends, holding the prize proudly.

'It's beautiful, isn't it?' Blaise said. 'Just like a hippogriff I know. They're graceful, mighty creatures.'

'Yes,' Justin said.

'And now let's go to the TappitHen and carouse!' Blaise said.

As Justin, Blaise, Trevor, the Hon. Evelyn, Algie and Cousin Sylvester were sitting in the Tappit Hen, Blaise proposed a toast:

'To our brave captain Justin Finch!'

The wizards raised their glasses, and Justin said, blushing:

'Thanks, gentlemen! And I'll sail where you please now that the regatta's over - Timbuktu, Fez, or Japan!'