THE BILLY BASS SAGA: And The War Goes On … part 3
WORDS: Eugene C. Kruger IMAGES: Meta AI with Llama 3.
Just off a boulder-strewn bank in a deep gully on the western shores of the lake, Billy Bass and his cronies were just lazily finning around, taking advantage of the degree or so warmer water in the late winter morning sun. Not at all active, they were just hangin’ out after their early morning feeding effort, conserving their energy for the coming weeks when, they were sure, spring and the spawning season would arrive.
Some of the younger set, males and females, obviously bored with the inactivity, were nosing in among the boulders, more from inquisitiveness than hunger. Of the large females there was no sign – they were holding up in deep water further out.
Also hanging around a few metres away were Cyril Carp and his mates, forming a far larger group that included all sizes and both males and females.
Beyond these two groups the forms of Krafty Kurper and his community could be seen swimming in and out of the gully. They too appeared not to be in any feeding frenzy but were just marking time.
With a typical late winter high pressure system pushing air down on the lake, none of the fish were in any discomfort; the sun’s rays descended from a clear-blue sky onto a mirror-like surface and to all intents and purposes it was a morning of peace and harmony.
But then, appearing from the depths came marauders – dark-skinned , with no scales and flat heads with gaping, whiskered mouths on strong, muscle-bound bodies – that smashed first into Krafty Kurper’s group and then into Cyril Carp’s group, and having torn a wide path through them into Billy Bass’s group.
The groups scattered in confusion and terror with the marauders hunting down the smaller juveniles to grab them and in one or two gulps devour them. The attack was as fast as it was destructive – in a matter of seconds the marauders had smashed their way through all the groups to disappear in minutes into the depths from whence they had come.
It was with great difficulty that Billy Bass, Cyril Carp and Krafty Kurper restored a semblance of order in their groups.
“Well, we never saw that coming!” exclaimed Billy Bass to his second in command, “not that we didn’t know of that lot and how they operate! Go check out what Cyril Carp and Krafty Kurper have to say!”
The devastation caused by the marauders on them was as bad as it was on Billy Bass’s group. “I know of their leader,” Krafty Kurper said, “he’s known as Bad Brad Barbel and is unpopular in just about every lake in the land. He and his ilk like to dominate everything; real bullies they are!”
“That’s right,” Cyril Carp agreed, “they even eat what should be reserved for us, but when they see what we are eating, they will gang up and shove us off the feed and clean it all up!”
“And never, ever leave your nests either,” Billy Bass chimed in. “They see all your little ones and in seconds they’re all gone into those gaping mouths!”
“Well, there is only one thing left for us to do,”said Krafty Kurper, “we’ll have to persuade Big Brad Barbel to join our peace accord , otherwise I’m afraid it will be the end for all of us!”
And so they sent their ambassadors into the lake to find Big Brad Barbel and invite him to their summit meeting, but even after weeks and months of what they reckoned were level-headed, practical negotiations, Big Brad refused to agree to any sort of compromise. At one stage Billy Bass, Cyril Carp and Kraft Kurper did manage to persuade Big Brad to at least take note of their concerns, and even secured a date for a summit meeting. But since Big Brad was nowhere to be found, the summit never took place.
Which is why until today Billy Bass, Cyril Carp and Krafty Kurper teach their groups to always be very careful when they see one of Big Brad’s group in their area!
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