'And you're quite sure that's what Norman said?' asked Norma.
'Oh yes!' replied Annie. 'I would have brought him here so he could tell you himself but he takes a long time to draw.'
'Anyway,' said Norma.
'Am I,' interrupted Captain Bill, 'am I the only one who finds the whole notion of an undercover elephant a bit difficult to comprehend?'
Annie herded very close to Captain Bill.
'He's a master of disguise you know,' she said. 'He's an ever changing kaleidoscope of characters, a complex panoply of voices, gestures and slight of trunk costume changes. Forever on the move, never resting for a even a moment in his self inflicted quest for.........whatever it is we're all looking for.'
'Queen Phoebe's crown,' prompted Norma.
'That as well,' agreed Annie. 'One day Norman the pirate elephant, the next a pirate elephant named Norman. Sometimes in the forefront of high seas pirating activity, sometimes no more than a wisp of smoke hiding in the shadows...although admittedly they do need to be rather big shadows.'
'Finished?' asked Captain Bill.
'Errrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Yes!' mooed Annie.
And she did a little dance.
'Nice shapes,' said Norma.
'Ta muchly!' replied Annie.
'So what now?' asked Captain Bill.
'We act on Norman's information,' replied Norma. 'We're getting closer but I still can't help but feel that the sheer brilliance of the criminal pirate mind will mean that we're always going to be several hooves behind them. Even in the time we've been talking I dare say they've moved their plans onto a more advanced stage.'
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