Beaver Towers

by Nigel Hinton

  Loco and Chez showed no sign of going away and there was no hope of them falling asleep because they chatted to each other all the time.

  ‘It’ll be morning soon,’ Ann whispered. ‘If we stay here much longer we’re going to be caught.’

  It was true, but what could they do?

  They were all busy trying to think of something when there was a tap on the door. The two badgers glanced at each other and then slowly opened the door and looked out into the courtyard.

  ‘Who’s there?’ called Chez.

  There was no reply.

  ‘Must be hearing things,’ Loco laughed and they closed the door and started chatting again.

  There was another tap, louder this time, and the two badgers sprang to the door and threw it open.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Chez gasped as they looked out and found no one there.

  ‘Perhaps we ought to go and check in the courtyard,’ Loco said in a scared voice. ‘You go first.’

  ‘No, you go first,’ Chez said, pushing Loco in front of him.

  The two badgers went timidly out of the door and down the steps. As soon as they’d gone, Baby B and the two hedgehogs dashed across the Hall to the door. They looked out and saw Loco and Chez busily searching the courtyard. Ann pointed to the car standing near the steps.

  ‘We can hide under Doris,’ she whispered.

  They waited until Loco and Chez had their backs turned then they scooted down the steps and threw themselves under the car. Hidden behind the wheels, they watched as the badgers reached the far end of the courtyard and began walking back towards the steps. They got nearer and nearer and finally stopped right next to the car.

  ‘What do you think?’ they heard Loco ask.

  ‘Brrr! I don’t know,’ Chez said with a shiver. ‘All this talk about the Prince of Darkness coming is giving me the collywobbles. I suggest we go inside, lock the door and don’t open it, no matter who knocks.’

  ‘Good idea,’ Loco said, and the two badgers hurried up the steps and closed the door behind them.

  As soon as they heard the key turn in the lock, Baby B, Nick and Ann crawled out from under Doris and rushed across the courtyard. They sprinted over the drawbridge and along the path towards the forest.

  When they reached the cover of the first trees they stopped to look back at the castle. It was dark and silent. No one was following them.

  ‘Thank goodness,’ panted Ann. ‘I thought we would never get out of there.’

  There was a whirr of wings and Sergeant Robin flew down and landed on a branch next to them.

  ‘You wouldn’t have got out of there if I hadn’t half broken my beak banging on that door,’ he said.

  ‘Oh, Sergeant Robin, you was millions clever,’ Baby B laughed. ‘Silly old Loco and Chez was all scared ’cos they thinked it was the Prince of Darkness.’

  ‘Everybody’s scared’, Ann explained, ‘because they know that Retsnom has sent a message to that wicked Prince. He’s expected to arrive later today. And we’ve got to find a way to stop him or Beaver Towers will be lost for ever. First of all, though, it’s nearly daylight and we need somewhere to hide. Any ideas?’

  ‘We know a millions good place, don’t we, Nick? Follow us,’ Baby B said.

  They set off through the forest and by the time they got to the Manor the sun was beginning to rise. They had just made it in time.

  They hurried down the stairs and locked themselves in the safety of the secret cellar.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Philip and Mr Edgar pulled their boat up on to the beach and looked round. They were on a tropical island.

  Philip was amazed to see that the trees seemed to be coloured red and blue and yellow and green. Then a man stepped out of the trees on to the beach. He clapped his hands once and there was a burst of noise as hundreds of parrots flew into the air. They winged away across the jungle like a moving rainbow.

  ‘Tabby!’ shouted Mr Edgar.

  The man came forward and put his arm round the old beaver’s shoulder.

  ‘Edgar! Good to see you. I hope you liked my colourful welcome. So, this is the young pupil.’

  ‘Yes. Philip – meet Master Tabriz.’

  Philip held out his hand and Master Tabriz gripped it warmly. He was a tall black man with a dazzling smile that lit up his whole face. His dark, laughing eyes looked closely at Philip for a moment, then he nodded as if he liked what he saw.

  ‘Well, my old friend,’ Master Tabriz said, turning towards Mr Edgar, ‘tell me how things are at dear old Beaver Towers – it’s so long since I’ve been there.’

  ‘Ah, if only I knew, Tabby,’ Mr Edgar sighed. ‘We’ve totally lost contact. Young Philip here has been sending out think-talk messages for days but we’ve had no reply.’

  ‘Perhaps my power isn’t strong enough,’ Philip suggested.

  ‘No, it’s not that,’ Master Tabriz said. ‘Your power is strong. There must be a problem at the other end – your messages aren’t being heard.’

  ‘That’s what I’m worried about. We almost went straight home rather than come to see you,’ Mr Edgar said.

  ‘No, you did right coming here. If there’s any trouble at Beaver Towers, Philip is going to need all the power he can get.’

  Master Tabriz put his hand on Philip’s shoulder. ‘You’ve learned a lot about the world and about yourself – I can see that. The more you understand things like that, the stronger your power will become. So, are you ready for another lesson?’

  Philip nodded.

  ‘Good. Follow me.’

  He led the way along a path through the jungle until they came to a large round building in the middle of a clearing.

  ‘My observatory,’ Master Tabriz said. ‘Let us go inside. I want to show you some wonders and mysteries. The wonders and mysteries of the universe.’

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Now that they were safe in the cellar, Baby B and the hedgehogs realized how hungry they were. They sat down and ate some of the nuts and apples they had picked up on their way to the Manor.

  It was a delicious breakfast but after they had eaten it, Baby B and Nick felt more sleepy than ever. Sergeant Robin said he knew a herb that was good for staying awake so they pushed open the secret door and he flew off to try to find some in the forest.

  ‘Why did you do polishing Doris at night, Ann?’ Nick asked as they waited for the robin to come back.

  ‘Well, someone had to keep her nice and shiny,’ she said, giving Nick a meaningful look. ‘You got all stuck-up and proud. Then Mick got all silly about helping Retsnom so he stopped working as well. Honestly, boys are useless!’

  ‘No we’re not!’ Nick cried.

  ‘Who brought Retsnom to Beaver Towers in the first place? Boys!’ said Ann. ‘Who got caught and put in the dungeon and had to be rescued by a girl? Boys, that’s who!’

  ‘That was Rufus Rabbit’s fault – just wait till I get hold of him,’ blustered Baby B.

  ‘Yes, well he’s a boy too. I told you – they’re all useless!’

  Baby B and Nick didn’t dare say anything else because they actually felt a bit useless, although they would never admit it to Ann. So they just sat there trying to look as if they didn’t care what she said.

  Luckily Sergeant Robin came back at that moment and there was something else to think about. He flew in with a branch in his beak. Baby B and Nick recognized it at once from their lessons on plants. It was called Somstop and Mr Stripe had taught them it was good for staying awake.

  They tore off some of the leaves and ate them. Almost at once they felt less tired and they were ready to listen to the robin’s news.

  While he’d been flying across the island, he’d seen animals everywhere – in the forest, in the fields, even along the seashore. It was obvious that they were looking for Baby B and Nick and it was also obvious that sooner or later they would come to the Manor.

  ‘Yes, but they can’t finding us here,’ Baby B said, getting up and checking
that the secret door was properly closed. ‘We’re as safe as anything.’

  The others hoped he was right.

  They all sat silently waiting as the minutes ticked by.

  Once, Nick sneezed and everybody jumped with fright and then glared at him.

  ‘I couldn’t helping it,’ he said.

  ‘Ssshhh!’ the others said.

  The minutes ticked by.

  Ann was the first to hear it.

  She stood up, her eyes wide, and pointed at the ceiling.

  Then everyone else heard, too. Someone was moving around upstairs. They could hear the steps going from one room to the next. Then they heard the steps coming down the stairs and along the corridor. They heard someone come into the room and walk across to the fireplace. There was a sniffing noise. Then a long silence. Then the sniffing noise came again.

  Someone had caught their scent.

  There was the sound of more steps and someone else came into the room.

  ‘Come on, this room is empty,’ bleated a voice. It was one of the sheep.

  ‘No, come across here near the fireplace,’ bleated the first sheep. ‘I’m sure I can smell something.’

  They heard the other sheep come across the room. They heard him take a big sniff.

  They held their breath.

  There was a big sneeze.

  ‘There’s just dust and ashes,’ bleated the other sheep. ‘It’s making me sneeze! Come on, let’s go – everyone’s waiting for us outside.’

  ‘Oh, all right,’ bleated the first sheep.

  Their hoof-steps went up the stairs and across the floor above.

  There was silence in the house.

  ‘I think they’ve gone,’ Ann whispered after a while.

  ‘I’ll go and check,’ Sergeant Robin said.

  They pushed the secret door open and the robin flew out. A minute later he was back with the news that the house was empty and that the sheep had gone off towards the sea.

  ‘Well,’ said Ann, ‘before anyone comes here again you’d better think-talk to Mr Edgar and ask him what to do about the Prince of Darkness.’

  Baby B and Nick had both been dreading this moment and neither of them knew what to say. Baby B nodded at Nick to start but the little hedgehog shook his head and pointed at Baby B.

  Somebody had to explain, so finally Baby B took a big gulp and began to tell the whole story about the silly tricks he’d played and how the think-talking had become weaker and weaker until it had stopped completely.

  Baby B had expected Ann to go on about how useless he was, but when he finished she simply sighed and said, ‘Oh well, I’ll have to help you – perhaps the three of us will be strong enough to get through.’

  ‘But you can’t do think-talking,’ Nick said.

  ‘I think I can,’ Ann replied calmly. ‘It only started a few nights ago while I was polishing Doris and I can’t control it very well, but … well, let’s see if I can do it now.’

  Ann closed her eyes and wrinkled up her nose as she concentrated.

  Baby B and Nick both jumped into the air as a picture of a car and the word ‘Doris’ exploded inside their heads.

  ‘Ow! You must think-talk quieter than that,’ Nick groaned, shaking his head. ‘You almost blew my prickles off!’

  ‘There you are! I knew I could do it,’ Ann smiled.

  ‘You can! Yippee!’ Baby B shouted with joy. ‘Quick, let’s hold paws and see if we can talk to Grandpa Edgar and Flipip. Oh, wouldn’t it be millions good if we could?’

  The three of them stood in a circle and held paws. Sergeant Robin perched on the logs and watched as they closed their eyes and concentrated.

  At first nothing happened, then suddenly all three of them heard a whooshing sound and then a cry of surprise. There was a moment’s silence, then Mr Edgar’s voice came inside their heads.

  ‘Drat me, what on earth was that?’ they heard Mr Edgar say. Then there was a chuckle. ‘By Jove! I can’t see you and you’re very faint but I’d know those think-voices anywhere. It’s Baby B and Nick! And about time, you young scamps. I’ve been as worried as a snowman in a heatwave about you.’

  Mr Edgar laughed again, then there was a pause.

  ‘Wait a bit,’ he said. ‘There’s someone else there too. Well, blow me down! Is that Ann?’

  ‘Yes,’ said Ann shyly.

  ‘Bravo, lass! You can think-talk! I bet you’ve been working hard on Doris, eh? Keeping going on your own. Doing your duty without thinking about a reward. That’s the ticket. So, you’ve learned it because you’ve earned it. Topping! Absolutely topping! Now then, enough chitter-chatter from me – I want to hear what you’ve got to say.’

  So they told him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  One minute Philip had been in Master Tabriz’s observatory looking up at the stars through a telescope, and now here he was floating in space looking down at the Earth.

  It had all started when Philip had been slowly moving the telescope across the sky. The stars were scattered so thickly that they looked like a glowing cloud of dust against the blackness of space.

  ‘There are so many!’ he had gasped.

  ‘Yes, so many,’ Master Tabriz had chuckled. ‘Many, many millions - and yet they all add up to one.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Philip had asked.

  ‘One universe. You can see it as millions of stars and planets and moons or you can see it as one universe. It’s the same with everything. When you look at the sea, are you looking at millions of drops of water or at one sea? When you look at a drop of water, are you looking at millions of atoms of hydrogen and oxygen or at one drop of water? When you look at the Earth, do you see many countries or one planet? All of these things are both many and one at the same time. It just depends on how you see it. Look!’

  On that word ‘Look’, Philip had found himself up here looking down at the beautiful blue and white planet where he lived. And it was true – from up here it was impossible to see cities or countries or continents or the different seas and oceans. From up here it was one planet.

  Master Tabriz’s voice was still echoing in his head with that word, ‘Look!’ And now he was rushing back towards the Earth at an incredible speed. The planet was growing larger and larger. Already he could make out the continents set in the blue of the oceans. There was Africa. And there was Europe. Now he could even see the shape of different countries – Italy, Spain, France. He had seen the one, now he was seeing the many.

  As he shot closer and closer to the Earth, an enormous curl of cloud billowed up to meet him. And now he was in the cloud, lost in a grey mist made up of many droplets of water.

  Master Tabriz’s voice still echoed, ‘Look!’

  And as Philip looked, the droplets were merging and melting together to make larger droplets that started to fall as rain. And he was falling with the rain.

  He was inside a drop of rain, looking out through the liquid walls, as it tumbled down from an enormous height. One drop of rain, surrounded by millions of other drops.

  And inside the drop of rain, he found himself wrapped in a green fog as two gases swirled and twined together. And he knew that it must be hydrogen and oxygen mixing to form water.

  The word ‘Look!’ still echoed in his head, so he looked. And he saw that each gas was made up of millions of atoms dancing together. And while his drop of rain continued to fall towards the Earth, he fell towards one of the atoms.

  He burst through the fizzing surface of the atom and found himself in a silent emptiness so huge that it was like being back in outer space. But instead of looking down at the Earth, he was looking across a vast distance towards a tiny speck at the centre of the atom. A speck of energy that crackled and sparkled and dazzled like the sun.

  At the heart of the speck was nothing. And from this nothing the crackling and the sparkling and the dazzling flashed into being.

  And he stayed there a long time watching the miracle happen. The miracle of creation, as nothing became
something.

  Then he felt himself rising again, being drawn back out of the atom. Back through the fizzing surface and into the green fog of the gases.

  Then the green swirl of the gases parted and he was looking out of the clear watery walls of the raindrop again. One of millions of raindrops falling towards the Earth. And he could see where his raindrop and all the others around him were heading. The sea lay below them.

  ‘Look!’ echoed Master Tabriz’s voice.

  There was a hiss as his raindrop hit the surface of the sea. And as the hiss faded away he felt the smooth round walls of the raindrop melt. The water rushed out and the sea rushed in and then there was no difference.

  He was a drop of water and he was the sea. He was one of the many, and he was part of the one. And he moved in one place far out at sea, yet he was also the wave that curled and crashed against the land hundreds of miles away.

  Then a voice was calling to him. Not Master Tabriz’s voice. Mr Edgar’s voice.

  ‘Philip, come back! Philip, come back!’ it called.

  He opened his eyes and he was back in the observatory. Master Tabriz was standing by the telescope and Mr Edgar was walking up and down with a worried look on his old grey face.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  ‘There’s danger at Beaver Towers,’ Mr Edgar said. ‘Terrible danger.’

  Philip felt his heart beating faster and faster as Mr Edgar told him what Baby B and the others had managed to say before their think-talking had faded away.

  ‘The poor young scamps were so scared that they were all think-talking at once. And their signal was getting weaker every second. I had a high old time trying to make sense of it all. They kept going on about some bird who has hypnotized all the animals on the island. Now what was the dratted name of the rotter? Ah yes, Retsnom, that’s it.’

  ‘Retsnom?’ Master Tabriz said. ‘I know that name. He’s one of the helpers of the Prince of Darkness. But Retsnom isn’t a bird. Change the letters of his name around and you’ll soon see what he really is – a monster. A huge, horrible, slimy, slug-like monster. He must be in disguise.’