Crocodile Tears - Chapter 21: Margin of Error

Well hi there, fancy seeing you here... long time no see, sorry about that! Anyway we are fully back to Mr Rider and only have four chapters to go after this one! That's the funny thing, we're so close to the end of the book and yet I still have no idea how on earth Alex is going to get out of this one - especially after this chapter!

This chapter was set back in England between Blunt, Jones and the new Prime Minister. I like these kind of chapters because, aside from the fact that I sometimes feel like I need a break from Alex's wild rollercoaster-ride of a life, it tends to give us more information, and usually calms us in the knowledge that MI6 are definitely doing something to help. I say usually because this is not always the case. Sometimes the cold-blooded Mr Blunt refuses to help Alex, assuming that he'll get out of it himself, which is why this chapter particularly surprised me.

I'm just going to jump straight into the middle of this chapter. Basically the Prime Minister is not that keen on having Alex as a spy, worrying more about the diplomatic ramifications of sending planes in to destroy the fields than the lives of hundreds of people: including Alex. Blunt goes on to say something next which I never expected to hear him say: "I want to know he's safe".


...


This man has sent Alex into life-threatening situations numerous times and has never shown any remorse, concern or emotion about doing so. His cold-blooded attitude stops emotions from getting in the way of these missions, and he has watched as Alex has been beaten, injured, nearly killed, without turning a hair. I thought it was amazing that this boy, who he so evidently disliked at the beginning of this series has one the admiration of a man who never seems to admire or be worried about anyone. It's a testament to how well Alex has done, in spite of the blackmail from MI6, that Alan Blunt actually respects him and wants him to survive. I thought that was a pretty major piece of character development there, and Mrs Jones even notices the change.

Most of this chapter is just discussion about what to do. They have all recieved Alex's message about what McCain is doing in Kenya and are working out how to stop it. Horowitz has never portrayed politicians in a positive light. They never react well to the idea of Alex, and I think that's pretty realistic: an adult who has worked hard to be where they are and knows their intelligence is unlikely to like being proven wrong by a child. You see it all the time in children's fiction - most notably in Harry Potter, where the reactions of characters like Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge (both politicians...) are negative when it comes to Harry trying to tell them they are wrong. In the Alex Rider books they nearly always make the wrong decisions, leaving Alex to sort it out himself.

Here the Prime Minister decides to bomb the fields which have been sprayed, hoping to destroy them that way. They know that Alex may be in the area but in their opinion they have no other choice. Mrs Jones point out that by blowing it up theycould just be spreading the spores further, and the Prime Minister refuses to listen to the risks. He seems determined not to do anything MI6 want: they suggested using flame-throwers which would be more effective in destroying the spores and therefore seem a far better solution, but still he turns a lind eye and goes with what his own men are telling him. It just seems like he's being soiteful for no reason and this could cost Kenya thousands or millions of lives.

He did say something that I whole-heartedly agree with however: he ordered that this be Alex's last mission, that he must return to school. You'd think if the PM ordered this, MI6 would have to obey, but I know there's another book, so I wonder what goes wrong...

The final 2 pages change scene: back in Kenya, McCain has discovered Bennett's foot, left by the crocodiles. Surprisingly he sheds a tear which, although he was her fiance, does seem strange. I could never really picture the two of them together. Anyway he finds Alex's torn shirt but realises it has NO BLOOD on it and works out that he must have escaped. He sends his men out, and they're particularly good trackers and will catch up with Alex VERY SOON and it is VERY BAD and I DON'T KNOW HOW ALEX IS GOING TO PULL THIS ONE OFF!!!

Sorry!

Sorry sorry sorry! Kept meaning to update but haven't! I don't really have an excuse though.

Today I'm doing something very different. I've had a pretty... eventful (and not in a good way) few days and earlier I kind of rewrote it as a short story. It's pretty cheesy (in my opinion) but I thought I'd put it up here before I get back (finally!) to my chapter-by-chapter review thing of Crocodile Tears.

Ok here goes...

There once lived a lonely Princess locked, by law, at the top of a high, impenetrable tower. It was the law that every princess, once they turned eighteen, must be shut in this tower for one year, and all the unmarried princes of the land had to attempt to breach its walls and reach her in order to marry her. Many had managed it, and every princess had at some point been taken from the tower. Princess Leonie however had remained there for months. Many young princes had tried, and although she encouraged them at first, she quickly realised that none were right for her, and they had all failed.

Now, once a month the princesses were allowed out of their tower to talk with their families, and Leonie was fast approaching her final talk before she embarked upon the last month of her confinement in the tower. She was looking forward to returning home, as she greatly missed her family, but she was still exceedingly sad. Although many princes had tried to rescue her, there was only one she wanted. Prince Alex, of a neighbouring kingdom, was different from the other, bragging princes. He was quiet and considerate and she had met him shortly before going into the tower. She had seen him every time she went home and, although she had never said anything, felt as though he might come and try to take her from the tower. Not once had she seen him. This being the final time before she returned to the tower, she had summoned all her resolve and decided to ask him to save her.

The second part of the law that decreed these princesses should be locked in the tower stated that if no prince had chosen them by the end of that yea,r they should not marry. Leonie was by no means unintelligent, ugly or boring, but something was preventing men from reaching her tower, and when she returned home her father was not happy. He knew there was relatively little she could do, but in his anger he made her promise that the next person who came close to her tower would be successful: she would encourage him and not lose interest, as she had in every previous occasion. Glumly she agreed, knowing that it was even more vital that she speak to Prince Alex.

Whilst walking in the gardens one day she saw a figure heading towards her from the castle. Feeling a lurch, she recognised it to be Prince Alex and, strengthening her resolve, prepared for what she knew she had to do. A woman telling a man her feelings was not encouraged in this kingdom, and she knew that what she was doing was risky, but it was her final chance. He smiled as he approached, seeming genuinely pleased to see her.

“I heard you were in this part of the garden and I came down to see you. It feels like I haven’t seen you in ages”

“Well it has been a month”, Leonie sighed, “and it won’t be long until I’m back for good.”

“And what a shame that will be to see you married.”

Leonie’s heart skipped a beat – he would be sorry to see her married. This must be a good enough sign for her to continue. “It might be a shame” she said, “but would you find it a shame if – if I was married to you?” The last words left her mouth in a rush, and feeling her cheeks warm up and a wash of burning heat engulf her body she didn’t dare meet his eyes.

“Oh.” He started, “I, um, didn’t realise – I mean –“

“Oh, I see, well don’t worry about it. I was – was just wondering – well. Never mind.” Leonie felt numb. She had to get away and forget everything she had just said. She just wanted to run and hide, forgetting all the hope she had had this past year, wiping blank all the memories of Alex, and most especially the excruciating one of tonight which was whipping around and around her mind like a conker spinning on a string.

She was returned to her tower later that night, and a fresh wave of men tried to climb and breach the walls. True to her word earlier that day she encouraged every one of them in an attempt to blot out the pain of earlier that evening, but she soon grew tired.

Falling asleep on the window ledge she began to dream. She dreamt of an old woman, a wise woman who was floating up to her window and setting her free. They glided down to the ground and she began to sing. It was a strange song – nothing that Leonie could recognise – but it filled her with a sense of hope and peace. “What does this song mean?” She cried.

“It is an ancient song” the old woman rasped, “sung by every woman at some point in her life. It is a song of sorrow and of happiness; anger and peace; and above all faith. Faith in the fact that one day, however far away or near it is, we will be perfectly happy. This does not have to mean married, or with children, or with lots of money or with lots of friends. It can do. But it can also mean that we will be perfectly happy in who we are. There may well come a day when we do not need someone, and that is the day when they are most likely to find us. This could be a friend, a relative or a lover, but as long as we can love them, then we are being true to ourselves.”

Leonie awoke with a strange feeling. She had not forgotten Alex, and she did not know how long it would take to forget him, but she did know that there would be others who loved her as she deserved, and that there already were – in her friends and family at home.

She remained there for the next month, and whether a Prince managed to climb the tower or not I do not know, however when she returned home she was happy. Her father, seeing the change in his daughter and regretting his anxiety at her marrying, revoked the law, and all future princesses were able to marry when they wanted – and it was later considered especially admirable if they asked the men themselves.

Yep, that was one humiliating experience that I hope not to go through again... but hey that's life! I will defo go through the next chapter tomorrow, so be warned!