The Classified Adventures of Owl 6(5): in which Owl Visits Reclusive Scarlett Pimpernowl in Her Madagascar Hide-Out for Help to Rescue Belle Epoque

Story so far.............Owl has been relishing his triumph over Boris Owl and his Cabal of Chums. He's made one visit to their tree stump in the Rain Forest to mentally torture them by eating yummy treats in front of them and hoot merrily when they had to make like cuckoo clocks on the hour to call in the struggling Owls for a free feed. But, schadenfreude is not really his scene. Well, just a little. Though he really longs for a new adventure. Luckily, some urgent hooting over the Owl Twitter Receiver has alerted him to the predicament of his ex, Belle Epoque, the small but beautifully-formed French Owl (athene noctua), and mother of Leafy Green his young spawn. As you may recall, Belle and Owl had a wee falling out when he abandoned them for a mission [Ed: be honest, Owl! It was for another Owl]. Now's his chance to make things right and make it up to her.

Owl: Howdy All, Bonjour and ?Cómo Estás?? I've had a joyous reunion over the urgent Twitter. Belle has forgiven me! She says she's being guarded in witness protection by a bodyguard Eagle Owl of huge proportions (yes, she said that!) and needs some l$$ty to buy her way out of a tricky affair of the heart gone wrong. Said Eagle Owl was deployed to protect my family against the retribution of Horny Owl and P-Hooty and his Band. But he's clearly been taken advantage of by Belle. Where's the loyalty these days?! I have to wonder though whether its me or the l$$ty she really wants [Ed: Owl never learns].

First things first. I'm at a bit of a loose end and could do with a partner. And Leafy Green will be all grown up and I haven't seen him since I flew off to join Belle Poire Helene only to find she was really a deep fake! I will have to rescue them both. But how? I may need the help of the Scarlett Pimpernowl in Madagascar.

Image:Cover of the 1908 edition by Baroness Emma Magdolna Rozália Mária Jozefa Borbála "Emmuska" Orczy de Orci - Wikipedia

Madame Scarlett resides in the old pirate colony of Libertalia at Nosy Boroha off the northeastern coast of Madagascar.

WORLD WIDE GUM CO. - 1933 WORLD WIDE GUM CO. SEA RAIDERS SERIES TRADING CARDS

Captain Misson (or Mission), described by Captain Charles Johnson as the founder of a fictional "pirate utopia" called Libertalia or Libertatia.

Scarlett will appreciate the french connection having fought against the original coup against the monarchy, but then led her Chameleon Army who changed colour fighting on the side of the Revolution (for independence against the French colonial rulers leading to the Malagasy Uprising of 1947). She is flexible and just likes rescuing.

And she has a tribe of Labord chameleon escape artistes expert in disguises who would probably enjoy a trip to another rain forest.

Photo: By Christopher Raxworthy - National Science Foundation. Adult male Labord's chameleon (Furcifer labordi) from southwestern Madagascar. 

Cut to Madagascar Rain Forest where Owl has slashed through foliage with his beak and encountered many a dangerous unfamiliar species. "Where is that demned elusive Pimper-gel?"

Scarlett Pimpernowl is sun-bathing on a pirate gravestone.

A pirate cemetery at ?le Sainte-Marie - JialiangGao www.peace-on-earth.org - Own work. Note the the island's iconic traveller's palm (ravinala) features in the national emblem.

Owl: Ah, Bonjour, Cherie.

Scarlett: Zut alors, i'faith, Odd's fish, m'dear! You look a bit shredded, Owl. Look at your limp cravet. And the sad state of those cuffs. I can hardly bring myself to look upon them. Long journey?

Owl: Sink me! Your chameleons are whip smart. They had me up against a tree trunk soon as look at me. Those tongues (shudders).

Scarlett: It must be hundreds of years since I last saw you, Owl.

Owl: I need your help. My virtuous maligned and deserted ex, the fragrant French athene noctua Belle Epoque, is being held hostage in witness protection by her former bodyguard lover, an Eagle Owl with rather large appendages. She has my only son Leafy Green with her.

Scarlett: "Virtue is like the precious odors, most fragrant when it is crushed.”

Owl: Please, Scarlett! For old times and the Revolution! I need you and your Band of Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma, Karma Chameleons! A free trip to another Rain Forest? And I'll throw in a few croissants.

Scarlett: Huh! You will need to up the offer, Owl. I'm no snooze merchant like Boris.

Owl: News travels. Well, I could go as far as a special supersonic Owl Flight.

Scarlett: Now you're squawking!

Artist Rendering: B21 Bomber US Air Force - Official

Next Time: Owl, Scarlett Pimpernowl and her Band of Chameleons rescue Belle Epoque and Leafy Green but not without mishap, misstep and mayhem!

See you next time!

Pamela is an Auckland writer and consultant with a Masters in Conflict and Terrorism Studies from the University of Auckland. She is a former lawyer, psychotherapist and executive coach.

She loves owls, ballet, black cats, hot air balloons, witches and wizards, Shakespeare, metaphors, memes, magical realism, reading, walking around lakes, carnivals, carousels, circuses, bals masque, Fiat cars, surrealism, Mozart, opera, dragons, cheongsams, sky rockets, turkish delight, Supreme Court Justice spider brooches, riding on her broomstick and travelling in her imagination.

Photo: Tarantula-Wikipedia