Beast World

by George Ivanoff

  About the Book

  Find the key! Open the doorway! Enter the other world!

  Xandra finds a key …

  It opens a doorway …

  She and her brother are sucked through …

  Into a crazy world that looks like steampunk London. Except in this world there are no humans – only animals. Xandra and Lex encounter rhino police, armadillo housekeeping staff, rodent inventors and even a lion on the throne. Here humans are the endangered species!

  Will Xandra and Lex survive Beast World?

  Contents

  Cover

  About the Book

  Title Page

  Dedication

  Other Worlds

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  Books by George Ivanoff

  Copyright Notice

  For my Alexandra,

  who’s a Lexi not a Xandra.

  Xandra reached out to the painting.

  ‘No!’ said Lex. ‘You’re not allowed to touch the artwork.’

  ‘But there’s something special about this one,’ insisted Xandra. ‘I don’t know why, but I feel like I need to touch it.’

  She reached out again. Her hand was almost upon it, when Lex pulled her chair back.

  ‘Xandra, what’s the matter with you?’ asked Lex, turning her wheelchair around and pushing it away from the painting.

  ‘I don’t know,’ snapped Xandra. Her brother could be so over-protective at times. Just because he was five minutes older than her, he seemed to think he could tell her what to do. Five minutes didn’t matter. They were both still thirteen. She particularly hated it when he took control of her wheelchair like that. Although she supposed he was right in this case. She shouldn’t be touching the exhibits in the museum.

  ‘It was a really strange feeling.’ She tried to clarify things in her own mind, but failed. She didn’t really know why she wanted to touch the painting … she just did.

  ‘Come on,’ said Lex. ‘The others have moved on.’

  Xandra nodded and placed her hand over the wheelchair controls. ‘I’ll drive,’ she said firmly.

  ‘Cool.’ Lex led the way across the room full of paintings and sculptures towards the next area of the museum. ‘Old maps!’

  Xandra smiled. Maps were her brother’s thing. He did orienteering with his Scout group and was always looking at maps. She glanced back at the painting and its mysterious swirls before following him. Xandra was into art, even though her own skills weren’t especially good. She loved looking at paintings and seeing how the artist saw the world. When a particular picture caught her eye, she could stare at it for ages; often feeling like she might fall into its world.

  They caught up with the rest of their school group. The teacher, Mr Quan, was pointing to an ancient piece of parchment with faded markings, explaining the history behind the map. It looked like he hadn’t even noticed that Xandra and Lex had been missing. He wasn’t very observant. Sometimes he even got their names the wrong way around. They may be twins, with the same short brown hair and long, angular faces, but she was a girl and in a wheelchair – surely that was a giveaway.

  ‘Okay,’ said Mr Quan after he finished his explanations. ‘You’ve got an hour to look around on your own. Everyone needs to meet up by the front door at twelve-thirty. Then we’ll be about ready to have lunch.’

  As the students dispersed, Xandra wheeled up to Mr Quan.

  ‘Sir?’ she asked. ‘Can you tell me anything about that weird painting in the other room?’

  ‘Weird painting?’ said Mr Quan. ‘Which one?’

  ‘The swirly one,’ said Xandra.

  Lex sighed.

  Xandra knew that sigh.

  Lex was always complaining that when she got something on her mind, no matter how dumb, she’d never let it go. He saw it as frustrating. She saw it as positive determination.

  ‘Why don’t you show me,’ suggested Mr Quan.

  Xandra led the way back. She stopped in front of the painting that was giving her the strange feelings. It was a turmoil of colours, all twirling together in a clockwise direction.

  ‘Ah.’ Her teacher nodded as he looked at the painting. ‘Yes, this is an unusual one. It’s called Doorway, but it doesn’t look like a door. It’s dated 1851, but not signed. There’s been much speculation as to the identity of the artist.’

  Mr Quan was now in lecture mode.

  Even though she had asked for the explanation, Xandra found herself tuning out. She felt the pull of the painting. She wanted to touch it. Somehow, she thought, adventure lay within. A ridiculous notion.

  ‘… and that’s all I know,’ finished Mr Quan.

  ‘Huh?’ Xandra was startled out of her thoughts. ‘Okay, thanks.’

  ‘Not a problem,’ said Mr Quan. ‘It’s what I’m here for. You know, being a teacher and all that.’

  As he turned to leave, Xandra reached out to the painting.

  Her fingers brushed the frame.

  The painting flared with light.

  Xandra inhaled sharply and snatched her hand away.

  To the right of the display, where Mr Quan had been standing, something was happening! Something unexpected and unbelievable! The air shimmered and distorted, then, with a whoosh, tore apart.

  Lex yelped in surprise, making Mr Quan turn back. The teacher gaped. His hands began to tremble. ‘Xandra. Lex. Get away from … from …’ He backed away until he tripped over his own feet and fell down. He sat there, wide-eyed, unable to move or speak.

  Xandra stared at the wonder before her. She stared into its depths and saw …

  Paintings.

  Xandra’s heart pounded, but it was more excitement than fear.

  Why aren’t I scared? she wondered. I should be terrified. She glanced at her brother – he certainly looked scared out of his mind.

  She gazed at the distortion … through it. Paintings hung on a wall in a museum. But this museum was nothing like the one she and her brother were visiting. Their museum was little and pokey, with just a few exhibits in each of its smallish rooms; the museum though the mid-air hole was … extravagant.

  The astonishing sight before her held all of Xandra’s attention. She forgot about her brother and her teacher and the school excursion. It felt like her surroundings were fading, and this strange phenomenon was the only bright spot in an otherwise dull universe.

  Xandra saw a massive hall, its walls crammed full of amazing artworks. Marble floor, high ceiling and gilt frames. More than anything she wanted to explore this museum in all its glory. She wanted to wheel through its halls and study the exhibits. Her fingers moved to her wheelchair controls.

  ‘Stop!’ called Lex. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘I just want a closer look,’ answered Xandra.

  ‘You can’t,’ said Lex. ‘You don’t know what that … that … thing is.’

  ‘Doorway,’ stated Xandra. ‘The painting’s called Doorway. And that’s what I think this is.’ She smiled. ‘A doorway to someplace else.’

  ‘What?’ Lex gaped at the doorway. ‘This is just too weird,’ he whispered. ‘No. No. It’s just a trick … an illusion. It has to be. Some weird new art display.’

  ‘I want to go through,’ Xandra declared. She didn’t know why. She just knew that that’s what she
wanted. She felt drawn to the distortion of light and was certain it would lead her where she needed to go.

  ‘You can’t,’ Lex insisted. ‘It could be dangerous.’

  ‘You said it was an illusion,’ Xandra pointed out, ‘in which case there couldn’t possibly be any danger.’

  Her fingers played over the chair’s controls and she wheeled towards it.

  ‘No!’ Lex leapt forward and grabbed his sister’s chair.

  Xandra halted centimetres from the shimmering door.

  She was not about to let her brother stop her. Without hesitation, she touched it. There was a tingling sensation as her hand passed through the wibbly-wobbly air. And then she was being sucked through.

  ‘Stop! Wait!’

  Xandra could hear the desperation in Lex’s voice … but her need was greater than his. She could feel him holding on to her chair, trying to stop it from moving. It was no use – Xandra was being drawn out of her seat. She felt Lex’s hand grasp her shoulder.

  ‘Nooooo!’ Lex screamed.

  Xandra was whisked forward, her brother’s hand still on her shoulder.

  Is he coming too? she wondered, as everything blurred and distorted.

  The world lurched and spun and moved in ways that it should not. Xandra tingled all over, a sense of exhilaration coursing through her like a jolt of electricity.

  Then she hit the marble floor. Seconds later, her brother was there, sprawled out next to her, panting hard.

  ‘That was awesome!’ she whispered.

  ‘Are you kidding?’ groaned Lex. ‘That was awful.’

  ‘You came with me,’ said Xandra.

  ‘Of course.’

  And then someone screamed – long and high; a note that felt like it could burst eardrums.

  At the far end of the room was an enormous lady in an extraordinary Victorian gown, an eruption of lace and frills in mauve. The lady was backing away, and screaming at the top of her lungs.

  Except that she wasn’t a lady.

  Xandra rubbed her eyes.

  Lex blinked and jumped up.

  ‘Is that …’ Lex’s voice trailed away.

  Xandra nodded. ‘I think so.’

  There was no denying it. The lady was actually a cow – standing on her hind legs and squeezed into a dress.

  ‘I didn’t know cows could scream like that,’ said Lex.

  ‘I didn’t know cows could dress like that,’ said Xandra.

  And the cow in the dress screamed and screamed and screamed.

  ‘What do we do?’ asked Lex.

  Xandra shrugged.

  Accompanied by shouts and much commotion, security guards came barrelling into the room. Except that they weren’t security guards … they were crocodiles in security guard uniforms.

  Lex stumbled backwards, looking for the doorway they had come through. Xandra gasped! It was gone.

  The uniformed animals came rushing towards her. Xandra didn’t move. Without her wheelchair she was helpless. Lex returned to her side, crouching down, a protective hand on her shoulder.

  ‘We’re trapped here,’ he whispered.

  Xandra was beginning to regret her rash decision to go through the doorway. She could feel her heart thumping in her chest. Were these animals about to devour them?

  The five crocodiles formed a circle around Lex and Xandra.

  ‘I don’t believe this,’ said one of the crocodiles.

  ‘Neither do I,’ said the one to his right.

  ‘What … what are they?’ asked another.

  ‘They can’t be real,’ said a fourth.

  The fifth carefully drew a pistol from his holster and levelled it at Xandra and Lex. ‘Okay, lads,’ he said, voice shaky. ‘No matter how incredible this ’ere situation may be, we’ve got a job to do.’ He was obviously in charge. The other crocodiles responded with nods as they all drew their pistols. ‘Keep ’em covered lads, while I fetch the coppers.’ The lead crocodile raced from the room.

  ‘They’re speaking English,’ Lex whispered.

  ‘I’d noticed,’ said Xandra. She could hardly believe that the animals were talking at all – let alone in English. It was incredible.

  ‘Stand up and put your hands above your heads,’ demanded the first crocodile.

  Lex straightened from his crouch and raised his arms.

  ‘Um, I can’t,’ said Xandra. ‘My legs don’t work.’

  ‘What?’ said the crocodile. ‘How come?’

  ‘She has muscular dystrophy,’ said Lex.

  ‘What’s that?’

  ‘It’s a disease,’ explained Xandra. ‘It stops my leg muscles from working properly. I’m usually in a wheelchair.’

  The crocodile gave his colleagues a nervous glance. It was hard to read the reptilian expressions, but Xandra was sure that they were confused … and scared.

  ‘We’re not dangerous,’ said Xandra. ‘We’re human beings.’ The animals’ expressions didn’t change. ‘My name is Xandra Volodin and this is my brother Lex.’

  Lex gave a half-hearted smile and tentatively waved.

  ‘We were on a school excursion to our local museum,’ continued Xandra. ‘I’m not sure how we got here.’

  ‘Or where here is,’ added Lex.

  ‘Ah … well …’ The crocodile seemed uncertain. ‘I’m Caruthers. Second in charge here … here at the V&A.’

  ‘V and A?’ asked Xandra.

  ‘Victoria and Albert Museum.’ All the crocodiles stood up straighter as Caruthers said this.

  ‘Isn’t that in England?’ Xandra asked her brother.

  ‘How should I know?’

  ‘So what’s going to happen to us?’ Xandra asked Caruthers.

  ‘That’s not up to us, ah … Miss Volodin,’ he answered. ‘That’s up to –’

  A shrill whistle cut through the air. Moments later the leader of the crocodile guards came running back, followed by …

  A rhinoceros in a police uniform, blowing a whistle.

  ‘This just gets weirder and weirder,’ said Xandra. It’s like being in some sort of bizarre cartoon, she thought. She half expected to see dancing furniture next.

  ‘It’s not just weird,’ said Lex. ‘It’s ridiculous. It … it can’t be real. It just can’t be.’

  ‘Oh, I assure you, young lad, that this ’ere predicament is very real indeed,’ said the police rhino, as he stomped up to them. His voice was deep and raspy.

  He regarded them through squinty eyes and snorted. ‘What manner of animal are the two of you?’

  ‘We’re people,’ said Xandra. ‘Humans.’

  ‘Humans?’ repeated the rhino.

  ‘Human beings.’

  ‘Poppycock!’ blustered the rhino. ‘No such beast. They’re a myth. A fairytale. No, I’m thinking that the two of you are some bizarre, hitherto undiscovered species from beyond our borders.’ He lowered his voice. ‘From the ocean, mayhaps.’ The rhino shivered. Then he straightened up, adjusted his uniform and put on his most official voice.

  ‘I am Police Sergeant Lightfoot,’ he declared.

  Lex looked at the Sergeant’s massive feet, squeezed into shiny, black shoes, and stifled a giggle.

  ‘As a duly appointed officer of the law,’ continued Lightfoot, ‘I hereby arrest you in the name of Queen Victoria.’

  He lifted the whistle to his mouth and blew a long, loud, shrill blast.

  ‘Right,’ said Police Sergeant Lightfoot. ‘These ’ere lads from Museum Security will escort you to the wagon outside. From whence I shall take you to the lock-up.’

  He glanced down at Xandra, lying on the floor. ‘On your feet, lass. Chop, chop.’

  ‘She can’t,’ Lex piped up, ready to defend his sister.

  ‘Can’t … or won’t?’ said Lightfoot.

  ‘Can’t,’ said Xandra. ‘I have muscular dystrophy.’

  ‘What the blazes is that?’ demanded Lightfoot.

  ‘It’s a disease,’ piped up Caruthers. ‘It prevents the lass from walking.’

/>   ‘Oh.’ If it was possible for a rhino to look embarrassed, Lightfoot did. ‘Righto, then. Carry ’er.’

  He turned and stomped away.

  ‘Apologies, Miss Volodin,’ said Caruthers, as he and another security croc lifted her up by the arms.

  Xandra, not used to being manhandled like this, couldn’t help yelping as they lifted her up. She could feel the roughness of their scales, even through her clothing. She couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

  Xandra and the two crocodiles were followed by Lex, who was followed by the other security guards. As they were leaving, Xandra noticed that the cow in the dress was still there, standing by the door, mouth hanging open. As the strange procession went past, the cow stared wide-eyed at Xandra, and began to scream again.

  The scream faded as Xandra, Lex and their escort wound their way to the entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum. The building was extraordinarily beautiful, filled with amazing exhibits ranging from artworks to mechanical contraptions; from taxidermied birds to splayed-out insects on cork boards. But Xandra barely noticed their incredible surroundings, because as they went through the museum they passed one well-dressed animal after another – sheep in tailored suits; cats and dogs in elaborate dresses; cows and bulls in elegant attire – all of them walking around on their hind legs. And as they went along, these animals stopped and stared and gaped, as if Xandra and Lex were the oddities.

  Xandra felt like she was an exhibit being paraded about for the amusement of others. Despite the large spacious interior of the museum, it all felt like it was closing in on her. So it was with much relief that she emerged into the sunshine.

  Xandra and Lex gasped.

  They were in a bustling city – roads, footpaths, buildings, and in the distance, a flag fluttering on the roof of a palace. But the streets and vehicles were full of animals.