Daily Life in Elbania (CLOSED, MT, ATTN ArghNeedAName)

[Elbania]

"Let's go. We'll also explain the whole truth about Elbania to the world.", Vary says.

Once Varyleva got in, they began paddling, away from the base. It would take them an hour to go a mile from the base, and sighing, he knew the truth. They only had some granola bars, and that was it for food. They knew it will be worth it, however.

[Iglesian Archipelago]

Varyvela was extremely hungry. "May I eat something?", she asks.

[Elbania]

Varyvela was extremely hungry. "May I eat something?", she asks.

"Sure," he said. "Here is a granola bar, we only have 7, so I suggest dividing the bar into three, so we can last at least twenty-one days."

[ArghNeedAName]

Amongst the cans, someone had left a document amongst the sweets:

"Dear prospective escapee,

So you have chosen to escape from Elbania? You have made a brave decision, but do not underestimate how dangerous it is.

Here is what I can do to help you:

• If you try to escape in daylight you will be caught.
• Do not attempt to escape in foggy weather.
• Sail straight ahead on from where you are.
• If the night is clear, you will see a light in the distance out to sea. If the night is overcast, you will have to head out a bit to see it. This light is Bishop Rock lighthouse.
• Bishop Rock lighthouse marks the end of the Zone of Exclusion around Elbania. Once you pass this, you will be free.
• Keep clear of the lighthouse (it is there for a reason!) and pass it on the right-hand side.
• Continue outwards from here.
• As you approach the mainland you'll see another lighthouse. This is the Llamedos Cape lighthouse. Pass it on the left-hand side and clear well away from it. The rocks around this lighthouse, known as "The Needles" are very dangerous. Some of them are hidden below water.
• Keep going past the cliffs - again do not approach these.
• Eventually you should see the seaside town called Llanfairlach (at night, you'll see it as a web of yellow lights). This has a beach on it called the Bay of Worms where you can land. Unless you fancy trying to scale the cliffs, the Bay of Worms is the only place where you can really land.
• Don't be surprised/feared if you get arrested by the police on arrival. ArghNeedAName is highly suspicious of defectors from Elbania, since many "defectors" have turned out to be spies.
• By the way, these boats are a bit leaky. Don't waste time or you'll take on too much water.

Good luck in your escape from this hellhole we live on. I hope you will be more successful than my son.

Signed,
A. Local"

[Elbania]

When he saw the note, he immediately read it loudly to Vary. Just ten minutes later, the sun would set, and it would be a clear evening, seeing the lighthouse in the distance.

"We shall sail to thy lighthouse, and move to thy right," he said, and moved right. It would take ten hours before they left the Zone of Exclusion, meaning they were free. Shortly afterwards, they moved to the left, seeing another lighthouse. They had a dream, to leave Elbania, and to arrive at Llanfairlach. However, it would take nearly a month before they would even arrive at Llanfairlach, at the Bay of Worms.

[Iglesian Archipelago]

"I think this journey will last very long...", Varyvela thinks, Varyvela says.

[Elbania]

"I think this journey will last very long...", Varyvela thinks, Varyvela says.

"Probably," he replied. Now past the lighthouse, they were now free. Rowing, rowing, they had to go as fast as they could. When one slept, the other rowed, so not to waste time, and they only ate once a day. Just three days afterwards, they reached the Needles and moved left of the Needles.

"We shall land, and when we get there, we'll be free!"

[Eeri]

"Uuh special room? Well okay lead the way." Alex followed them into the other small room off the side it was just as he expected probably a bit smaller than the one room he and his sister shared.

And indeed it was. However, it really is the playroom. On one side, was a toy box, containing dress-up clothes. Immediately, "Kitty" reached the toy box and got some clothes out. These clothes was a green bodysuit, and she put it on backwards, with Walter zipping it up.

Immediately, Walter took out a board game.

"Wanna play scrabble?"

"I don't know how ta play that game."

[Elbania]

And indeed it was. However, it really is the playroom. On one side, was a toy box, containing dress-up clothes. Immediately, "Kitty" reached the toy box and got some clothes out. These clothes was a green bodysuit, and she put it on backwards, with Walter zipping it up.

Immediately, Walter took out a board game.

"Wanna play scrabble?"

"I don't know how ta play that game."

Walter took out an instruction manual, and read to Alex.

The first played word must be at least two letters long, and cover H8 (the center square). Thereafter, any play using one or more tiles can be formed by:

Adding one or more letters to an existing word, e.g. (JACK)S, HI(JACK), HI(JACK)ING.
"Hooking" a word(s) and playing perpendicular to that word(s), e.g. IONIZES with the S hooked on JACK to make (JACK)S.
Playing perpendicular to a word, e.g. JACK, then YEU(K)Y through the K.
Playing parallel to a word(s) forming several short words, e.g. JACK, then CON played under that to make (J)O and (A)N.

Any combination of these is allowed in a play, given that all the letters in each play lie on a straight line and are connected by a main word. Plays must read either left-right or top-bottom. Diagonal plays are not allowed.

"This pretty much sums up this game in a nutshell."

[Eeri]

Walter took out an instruction manual, and read to Alex.

The first played word must be at least two letters long, and cover H8 (the center square). Thereafter, any play using one or more tiles can be formed by:

Adding one or more letters to an existing word, e.g. (JACK)S, HI(JACK), HI(JACK)ING.
"Hooking" a word(s) and playing perpendicular to that word(s), e.g. IONIZES with the S hooked on JACK to make (JACK)S.
Playing perpendicular to a word, e.g. JACK, then YEU(K)Y through the K.
Playing parallel to a word(s) forming several short words, e.g. JACK, then CON played under that to make (J)O and (A)N.

Any combination of these is allowed in a play, given that all the letters in each play lie on a straight line and are connected by a main word. Plays must read either left-right or top-bottom. Diagonal plays are not allowed.

"This pretty much sums up this game in a nutshell."

"Okay I'll do what I can to play right." he sat down with him and started to put his first word down, pretty simple words for a 7 year old to manage. "C-A-T. That spells Cat."

[Elbania]

Walter immediately put down "S-I-L-L-Y." "That is Silly. Your turn, Alex."

[Eeri]

Walter immediately put down "S-I-L-L-Y." "That is Silly. Your turn, Alex."

"Okay oh W-A-L-T-E-R! Hey that's you!" After Walter put down his next turn Alex's turn came again. "M-A-Z-I-E. My sister. Oh I gotta get home for supper, it getting late."

[Elbania]

"Okay, see ya!" Walter said to Alex, as he left.

[Eeri]

"Bye Walt see ya in Church." Alex went down stairs and out the door. He got outside and saw it was raining "Ut-oh." It was a bit of a run back to his family farm and he dashed all the way to get back. "There you are, dry off sweetie then come sit down."

"Am I late momma? I tried to get back as fast as I could"

"No baby you're on time now go dry off."

"Yes, momma."

"Maize come in and get set for supper."

Steven stepped in from the rain and hung up his coat "Weather says it will be Sunny come Easter Sunday."

"That's good."

Maize sat down then Alex came in and sat down. Steven and Charlotte sat down. "Thank you Lord for the food we are about to receive. Thank you for our health and our fortune to live on this little plot of land we call home. Amen."

Family got to eating supper

[Iglesian Archipelago]

"Probably," he replied. Now past the lighthouse, they were now free. Rowing, rowing, they had to go as fast as they could. When one slept, the other rowed, so not to waste time, and they only ate once a day. Just three days afterwards, they reached the Needles and moved left of the Needles.

"We shall land, and when we get there, we'll be free!"

"Yes! We'll be free from the Elbanian government's oppression!", Varyvela says.

[Elbania]

"Probably," he replied. Now past the lighthouse, they were now free. Rowing, rowing, they had to go as fast as they could. When one slept, the other rowed, so not to waste time, and they only ate once a day. Just three days afterwards, they reached the Needles and moved left of the Needles.

"We shall land, and when we get there, we'll be free!"

"Yes! We'll be free from the Elbanian government's oppression!", Varyvela says.

As they settled on the routine, it took eleven more days before approaching their destination, Llanfairlach, just as the sun was setting.

"We are almost here! When we land, the first thing WE WILL DO is burn this boat, after we pull it into the sea, and then head to the nearest police station and turn ourselves in."

---

On Saturday, Walter woke up, and as expected, "Kitty" was beside him.

"Mornin' Kitty," Walter said.

"Hey Walter!"

[Iglesian Archipelago]

As they settled on the routine, it took eleven more days before approaching their destination, Llanfairlach, just as the sun was setting.

"We are almost here! When we land, the first thing WE WILL DO is burn this boat, after we pull it into the sea, and then head to the nearest police station and turn ourselves in."

"Let's see what happens next...", Vary says, Vary thinks.

[Elbania]

Three hours after sunset, they finally pulled in the Bay of Worms. After Varyleva and her new laptop were taken out, the boat was pushed back into the sea, and the former office set fire to the boat.

"Let's go to the police station," he said, and soon would walk, when they saw the police from ArghNeedAName.

"We surrender to you, officers," he said.

[ArghNeedAName]

Sergeant Morris was present at the desk at the time "Right, have you come from Elbania? We have occassionally had defectors turning up here in the past."

[Elbania]

Sergeant Morris was present at the desk at the time "Right, have you come from Elbania? We have occassionally had defectors turning up here in the past."

"Yes, yes, we have. Along with me is an Iglesian, Varyleva, who narrowly escaped execution. You see, I was supposed to take her to Port Jevosk when I realized that the government of Elbania was not just, and that what was the point of serving with those Nazis, who oppress the people? So, I took off my uniform at a ghost town near Trebizond, got a boat which I burnt once I got here, from an abandoned base closed in 1995. I hereby accept any prison times."

[ArghNeedAName]

"My name is Sergeant Morris, I am pleased to meet you. Did you enjoy your trip? The sea be the Needles can be very treacherous," he said. Then he beamed "Congratulations on finding freedom! ArghNeedAName has a policy of welcoming defectors from Elbania with open arms. Hopefully, you should get amnesty from the government and be able to reside here forever. However, since some defectors have turned out to be spies or smugglers, there are certain precautions we need to take. First, we much search you for weapons."

[Elbania]

"My name is Sergeant Morris, I am pleased to meet you. Did you enjoy your trip? The sea be the Needles can be very treacherous," he said. Then he beamed "Congratulations on finding freedom! ArghNeedAName has a policy of welcoming defectors from Elbania with open arms. However, since some defectors have turned out to be spies or smugglers, there are certain precautions we need to take. First, we much search you for weapons."

"Sounds good and acceptable, especially since I heard rumors that some CIA agents that are secretly there smuggle computers from ArghNeedAName to give them to government officials, especially when Windows 95 and Windows 98 were sold. I also have a laptop, which a general gave to me, which was smuggled in from ArghNeedAName"

As he submitted, the results showed nothing. He did not bring any weapons whatsoever, and after he submitted to various procedures, he was ready to go, well, save for the computer.

[ArghNeedAName]

Soon afterwards, a secretary entered the room with a plastic wallet. "This," Morris explained, "contains a few things you need. There are four train tickets - you each get a ride from Llanfairlach to Tregastel Central, and another from Tregastel Central to Ankh Morpork Great Western Terminal. There is a four-week visa and a four-week "Lobster Card" which has enough credit to last for about one month. And there are two tickets for the Station Plaza hotel at the Great Western Terminal, and some coupons. You basically get a free ride for about one month.

When you get to Ankh Morpork, you will need to head to the Ministry of the Interior headquarters and say that you are an Elbanian defector seeking political amnesty. They will be able to arrange permanent residence and also help you obtain a job or allowance."

[Elbania]

"Thank you," he said, and soon took hold of Vary's hand, to head to the train station. After showing the tickets, and following procedures, they were on the way to Tregastel Central.

Upon seeing the modernity of the train, he started to cry. "I cannot believe it," he sobbed. "I never thought that one day, I will end up in paradise! This is freedom!" The tears were of joy, really.

[Iglesian Archipelago]

"I think Iglesian trains look very modern as well...", Vary says.