Charlie & Hamish: Trapped in Gondwana, #2

by JB Rowley

  Title Page

  Trapped in Gondwana:

  Book 2:

  Charli and Hamish

  By

  JB Rowley

  Copyright Page

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Text copyright 2012 JB Rowley

  All rights reserved

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  Cover design by: Char Adlesperger

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  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only and may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this ebook with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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  Please note: This ebook uses British English. Readers who are used to American English might notice a difference in the spelling of some words.

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  Dedication

  Dedicated to Byron; a wonderful young man who once told me cool people don’t say Gondwanaland; they say Gondwana.

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  1: Nellie Returns

  2: Nellie’s Choice

  3: Charli and Hamish

  4: Guessing Game

  5: Fairytale Realm

  6: Pizza

  7: Mr Renard’s Secret

  8: Wicked Witch

  9: Prince Alphonse

  10: Pages and Sages

  11: General Realm

  12: Walking Woodland

  13: The Giant

  14: Captured

  15: Gold and Silk

  16: Trolls Again

  17: Triassic Trail

  18: Big Test

  19: Poisoned

  20: Rhymes and Riddles

  21: Home

  Glossary

  1: Nellie Returns

  Although she did not know it, Nellie Russell’s second Gondwana adventure really began when she turned and ran back into the pink light; back into Gondwana.

  To her surprise, she found she was not where she had been before. The darkness of night had already begun to settle on the misty forests. However, even in the dim light of dusk Nellie could see the bright green leaves on the trees. Mossy plants carpeted the earth, along with strange creepers that looked like soft pine-tree branches. She had not seen these plants in Gondwana before.

  Eleven-year-old Nellie had first discovered this adventure version of the ancient super-continent of Gondwana when she fell through a crack in the Earth. At least, it felt like she had fallen through a crack in the Earth but perhaps it was some sort of magic. Either way she had landed in the Gondwana adventure. The only way she could get out was to obey the instructions of the master of the adventure. He told her she had to reach the centre of Gondwana before sunset. On her journey through her adventure she met a cheeky Indian boy called Meg and his pet pygmy possum, Pari. Nellie made it to the centre of Gondwana and was on her way home. At the last minute she decided she did not want to leave. That was when she ran back into Gondwana.

  Meg and Pari had waved her goodbye but now they were nowhere to be seen. Only a few seconds had passed since she had said goodbye to them. When she had changed her mind and hurried back, she thought she would return to where she had been. Instead, she was alone in a different part of the forest. Where was Gondvan, the master of the Gondwana adventure?

  “Why have you come back, young lady?”

  Gondvan! Nellie had never been so pleased to hear his booming voice. She looked up in the direction that it came from. The small elf-like creature stood on the branch of a mossy tree. His luminous cape made him look like a blue lantern. Nellie could clearly see the blue skin of his wrinkled face and his wild curly eyebrows. He held his head to one side with his deep blue eyes fixed on her just as he had done when she first met him, except that he had been on the ground that time.

  Nellie smiled up at him. “Hello, Gondvan.”

  The first time she had met this odd creature, she had been confused by him and his strange appearance. She was used to him now. She knew he was not there to be her friend. Gondvan treated travellers in Gondwana like school children, just like a strict school principal.

  Nellie was no longer what Gondvan called a traveller. She had moved up to the status of visitor because she had successfully completed one of his adventures. However, she knew that this did not mean Gondvan would soften his attitude toward her.

  Seeing that he was waiting for her to answer his question she said, “Gondwana is so wonderful. I wanted to explore it some more and spend time with Meg and Pari. I thought I would be with them in the centre of Gondwana again when I walked back through the pink light.”

  Gondvan shook his head.

  “That was a foolish assumption. Why would the re-entry point be the same as the exit point? That, young lady, would be predictable.”

  Nellie did not know what to say. It seemed reasonable to her to expect to re-enter at the place where she had been.

  “To be predictable is against the Gondan rule,” said Gondvan as if he could read her thoughts. “You have much to learn.”

  “I thought finding our way to the centre of Gondwana before sunset was the Gondan rule.”

  Gondvan sighed and rolled his eyes. “There is more than one Gondan rule, young lady.”

  I should have known that, thought Nellie. “Where am I?” she said.

  “You are in the lycophyte labyrinth.”

  Nellie wondered if this was another one of Gondvan’s tests. She did not know what a lycophyte was but she knew a labyrinth was like a maze and could be hard to get out of. She also knew that if she asked Gondvan what the lycophyte labyrinth was he would probably just tell her she had to find out for herself. She asked a different question.

  “Do I have to find my way through the labyrinth?”

  “Perhaps you will find your way through the labyrinth,” said Gondvan, “and perhaps you will find your way to the lost ones.”

  “Lost ones? Do you mean Meg and Pari? Are they lost?”

  “Meghashyam has returned to his home. He is not lost.”

  “Well, if Meg and Pari are all right, I think I’d like to find my way to them. Is Meg’s home far from here?”

  “It is not far.”

  “I don’t suppose you intend to tell me how to get there?”

  “If you wish to go there, Fang will guide you.”

  “Fang?”

  Gondvan extended his left arm from under his blue cape and pointed upward. Nellie looked up and saw long claws curling around a branch. The claws belonged to a brown feathered creature the size of a turkey with a blue dinosaur-like head. Nellie had never seen anything like it before, not even in the encyclopaedia. Its long, brown tail stood up at the back like the tail of a wren.

  As if to acknowledge Nellie, the bird-like creature flapped both wings. When stretched out, the wings looked more like arms. Nellie saw that each arm-like wing had three long claws at the end. The creature had such a gawky body, as if it were a dinosaur pretending to be a bird, that Nellie had to smile.

  “Hello, Fang,” she said.

  Fang uttered a loud noise that sounded to Nellie like he was saying ‘Ger’, then jumped out of the tree. The creature looked even funnier as it flew through the air, its tail sticking up, legs and arms extended like a silly boy jumping off a diving board. Fang landed on the ground next to Nellie. She stepped back quickly. One of Gondvan’s rare smiles creased the blue wrinkles of his face.

  “Fang will not hurt you,” he said. “Now that you are a Gondwana
n visitor you have special privileges.”

  “Fang is a special privilege?”

  “Certainly. Fang will be your guide through the labyrinth to Meghashyam’s house. He will protect you when necessary.”

  “Thank you, Fang,” said Nellie looking down at the strange creature.

  Fang flapped his wings. “Ger,” he grunted. Nellie thought she noticed a change in Fang’s tone. She wondered if this indicated a different meaning. Perhaps this time ‘Ger’ meant ‘You’re welcome’ or something like that.

  “I will go now, before it gets too dark,” said Nellie.

  “It is not time to go. It is time to make your choice.”

  “What choice?”

  “You may enjoy the privileges of a Gondwana visitor or you may choose to become a traveller again and enter the adventure of the lost ones.”

  “Well, I think I’ve had enough of adventures for a while. I would really like to explore Gondwana with Meg and Pari.”

  “Nevertheless, you must meet the lost ones.”

  2: Nellie’s Choice

  “What do you mean?” said Nellie.

  Like a magician about to reveal a spectacular surprise, Gondvan slowly spread out his arms under his cloak. He brought his hands together and clapped three times. As soon as he did so, images appeared before Nellie. As though on a wide screen invisibly suspended in the air, she saw a boy and a girl behind iron bars. The boy was about her age with fair skin and a crop of wild blonde curls that straggled over his ears and forehead. Next to him stood a girl who looked a few years younger. She had dark skin, brown eyes and long black hair. Nellie could see and hear them as clearly as if she were watching a movie.

  “We have to think of a way out of this, Hamish,” said the girl.

  “I know, Charli. Don’t worry; I’ll think of something,” said the boy, but Nellie could see fear in his blue eyes.

  Gondvan clapped his hands again. The image disappeared. Nellie turned to Gondvan.

  “Who are they? Where are they? Why are they trapped?”

  Gondvan held up his hand to silence her. “They are the lost ones; travellers lost in a Gondwana Adventure. They are trapped in Fairytale Realm.”

  “Oh, I heard about Fairytale Realm from Mop, the clown.”

  Gondvan nodded. “Fairytale Realm is part of their adventure. They must return to General Realm and complete their journey. If they do not arrive at the centre of Gondwana before sunset, they will stay here forever.”

  “You’re the master of the adventure. You can help them,” said Nellie.

  Gondvan shook his head.

  “Oh no, I forgot,” said Nellie. “You won’t help the travellers. I suppose that’s another Gondan rule.”

  Gondvan nodded. “You show much intelligence, young lady,” he said and added, “for a human.”

  Anger surged through Nellie. She slapped her hands on her hips and stared at Gondvan. Her green eyes flashed and the freckles across the bridge of her nose stood out against her white skin.

  “Human beings are not dumb, you know,” she said.

  Gondvan looked back at her and said nothing. Nellie decided to change the subject.

  “How can I help Charli and Hamish?”

  “Simply make the choice to enter their adventure and become a traveller again.”

  “Become a traveller again?”

  “Yes, you will lose your visitor status. The rules of the adventure will apply to you.”

  “That means if we cannot complete the adventure I will have to stay here forever and so will Charli and Hamish?”

  “That is correct.”

  Nellie did not want to enter another adventure. Completing her own Gondwana adventure had not been easy. She had been relieved when the Gondwana exit opened to allow her to return home. She did not change her mind and come back just to enter another adventure. She came back to explore Gondwana and to spend time with her friend, Meg. Then she realised Hamish and Charli might not make it out either unless they had help, the way she had had help from Meg.

  “If you complete the adventure,” said Gondvan, “you will once again be awarded visitor status.”

  “And Charli and Hamish will be able to go home?”

  “Yes, if they complete the adventure with you.”

  Fang was scratching at the leaves on the forest floor, as if impatient to start the journey through the labyrinth.

  ‘The choice is yours,” said Gondvan. “You may choose not to help the trapped travellers. There is much for you to see and discover in Gondwana as a visitor. You may enjoy it all with your friend, Meghashyam and his pet marsupial.”

  Nellie wanted very much to explore Gondwana. But could she ignore those two children trapped behind bars in Fairytale Realm? She hesitated. Gondvan watched her. Well, thought Nellie at last, I wanted to visit Fairytale Realm anyway.

  “I’ll enter their adventure,” she said.

  Gondvan nodded and waved a hand at Fang. The bird-like creature flew up into the forest canopy.

  “Fang will stay here in General Realm,” said Gondvan.

  “So I have to go through the labyrinth by myself?”

  “You cannot enter the labyrinth; that is only for Gondwana visitors. You are now a traveller.”

  “Well, how do I get to Fairytale Realm?”

  Gondvan pointed to a spiky tree with curved branches that looked like a green spiral staircase.

  “Simply climb up.”

  Nellie craned her neck as her eyes scanned the tree trunk but she could not see the top. “It seems to go on forever like the stalk in Jack and the Beanstalk.”

  “It will take you to Fairytale Realm.”

  How exciting, thought Nellie. Ever since she had read the story of Jack and the Beanstalk she had wanted to climb up a tall stalk to the sky. The branches of the tree looked soft and mossy but when she placed her foot on the lowest one she found it was strong enough to hold her. Nellie began to climb. The further she climbed away from the light of Gondvan’s cape, the darker it became. She was halfway to the forest canopy when the blue light disappeared. She looked down. Gondvan had gone.

  “How will I find Hamish and Charli?” she called.

  No answer came. Nellie fought against a feeling of panic. Stay calm. Focus on the task at hand. She climbed higher. As she felt her way with her hands she hoped she did not put her hands on a sleeping snake or some other creature that might live in the tree.

  She had just reached the forest canopy and was beginning to think she might have to climb all night when she entered a swirl of golden mist.

  3: Charli and Hamish

  A path that looked like a ribbon of honey appeared before Nellie. An explosion of golden sparkles erupted in front of her. A beautiful lady dressed in a floor-length white dress with billowing skirts trimmed in gold emerged from the sparkles. Twirls and curls of golden hair were piled high on her head. In her hand she held a long white wand that sparkled gold at its tip. The beautiful lady smiled.

  “Welcome to Fairytale Realm.”

  “Hello,” said Nellie. “Are you a fairy godmother?”

  “Yes, you may call me Fairy Godmother,” she said.

  “Can you help me find the travellers who are lost; a boy called Hamish and a girl called Charli?”

  The fairy godmother pointed her wand at the path. “The golden path will take you to the caves where the lost ones are trapped.”

  “Thank you,” said Nellie.

  Gold mist closed around Nellie as she started along the path. When she looked back, Fairy Godmother had disappeared.

  Nellie had walked only a short distance before the mist cleared to reveal the opening of a cave. She expected to walk into a dark chamber but luminous stalactites created a warm glow inside the cave. She walked past large, sand coloured stalagmites into a larger chamber.

  “Hello,” she called.

  An answering hello came from somewhere in the distance. Nellie walked passed tall limestone columns; some brown, some white, some yellow and other
s a deep orange. Finally, she reached a large white column in the shape of an ice-cream cone. She could not see the boy and girl. She called out again.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello. We are here.”

  The answering voice was close. Nellie walked past the cone-like column. Just as in the image Gondvan had shown her, she saw a boy and a girl behind a gate of iron bars. The boy, leaning up against the back wall of their prison, wore a sullen expression.

  “Hello,” said the girl, “can you help us get out of here?”

  “I will try. My name is Nellie, by the way.”

  “I’m Charlotte, but everyone calls me Charli, and this is my brother, Hamish.”

  “You don’t look like brother and sister,” said Nellie.

  “We have the same father but different mothers,” said Charli.

  Nellie thought Charli’s accent sounded a bit like a teacher she once had who came from New Zealand.

  “Are you from New Zealand?”

  “Yes. I guess you can tell by my accent?” said Charli.

  Nellie nodded.

  “You’re from Australia, aren’t you?” said Hamish.

  “Yes.”

  “I knew it. I can always pick someone’s accent.”

  Charli rolled her eyes. “You don’t know everything, Hamish.”

  “I know a lot more than you, that’s for sure.”

  “What happened?” said Nellie. “How did you get stuck in here?

  “You mean in Gondwana or in this cave prison?” said Charli.

  “Both.”

  “Well, we were at a park near our home in Wellington.”

  “She followed me to the park,” said Hamish.

  Charli shrugged. “Hamish is a traceur. Sometimes I learn things from watching him.”

  “What’s a traceur?”

  “Someone who does parkour,” said Hamish. Seeing the confused look on Nellie’s face, he continued. “Parkour is a method of moving past obstacles by vaulting, jumping, running, rolling, climbing and that sort of thing.”

  “Yeah,” said Charli. “It’s really amazing. Whatever gets in your way, you just find a safe way to get over it. That’s what we were doing in the park. We were doing the monkey move...”