Rebecca’s World

by Terry Nation

  Their ribs ached and they gasped for breath as their bodies shook helplessly.

  Between shrieks of laughter, Rebecca managed to gasp, “Ha ha he he he…they’re…ho ho ho…they’re breathing…ha ha ha ha ha…laughing gas.” Then she doubled up, holding her aching stomach.

  “That’s how they catch their victims,” Kovak managed to giggle. “They make them helpless with laughter.”

  As if to prove his point, he fell down and rolled about hysterically.

  “Think of something serious,” laughed Rebecca, tears streaming down her face.

  “A nice, old lady falling down and breaking her leg,” shouted Kovak.

  They all laughed even louder.

  “A steamroller running over my feet,” shrieked Grisby, and exploded with mirth.

  It was no good. There was no thought serious enough to stop them laughing. By now they were almost exhausted. They rolled and twisted and writhed on the ground.

  Rebecca took a deep breath and managed to gasp out between shrieks: “In there.” She pointed to one of the openings in the bushes made by the Swardlewardles.

  Still laughing, she rolled towards the entrance and crawled inside on all fours. Grisby, Kovak and the Captain followed her. The slow moving Swardlewardles started forward to try and intercept them. But they weren’t quick enough.

  Once inside the bushes, the friends scrambled along as fast as they could go. They were still bellowing with laughter. The Swardlewardle tunnels wandered in all directions like some huge maze. Rebecca thought, “As long as the tunnels go up hill, we must be moving in the right direction.”

  At last Rebecca and her companions pushed their way out of the brambles and stepped into the open. They found themselves on the very crest of the ridge.

  They stood perfectly still staring at the view that presented itself. The ground fell away in a gentle slope that was littered with huge rocks. At its base was a narrow strip of sand. Beyond the sand stretched a great, dark lake, as smooth and polished as patent leather. A hundred yards from the shore was a small, almost flat, island. And growing at the very centre of the island was the object that held their awed attention.

  A tree.

  A tall and stately tree—its fine tracery of branches spreading broad and high and covered with leaves that glowed in a thousand colours.

  “The GHOST tree,” breathed Rebecca.

  They had found what they had been searching for all this time. The very last GHOST tree in Rebecca’s World.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  The friends said very little as they clambered down towards the shore. They were lost in the beauty of the tree. Even the normally chirpy Splinter Birds remained silent.

  It was Grisby who noticed it first. He stopped dead in his tracks and pointed.

  “Look.”

  For a moment Rebecca saw nothing, then there was a movement. A GHOST flitted between two rocks near where the water lapped the island’s beach. Then a second GHOST slithered across the sand. A third oozed into sight. And then Rebecca realised there were hundreds of them, forming an almost unbroken line around the island.

  “It’s the GHOST guard,” whispered Captain ‘K’. “They stay on the edge of the island because they daren’t go near the tree. But they make sure nobody else does either.”

  “How do you get past a solid wall of GHOSTS?” asked Kovak miserably.

  Rebecca did her best to sound cheerful.

  “Somehow we’ve managed to get through all the other dangers,” she said. “We’ll think of a way of getting through this.” But her voice sounded a good deal more confident than she felt.

  “Down,” hissed Captain ‘K’ urgently.

  They all crouched quickly amongst the rocks, hardly daring to breathe. There was an oily, slithering sound and a patrol of GHOSTS floated past, only a few yards away from their hiding-place. Unsuspecting, the GHOSTS moved on, heading for their main camp.

  When they had gone, the four friends, careful to make no noise, picked their way through the rocks until they reached the edge of the lake. From here the stretch of water that separated them from the island looked much wider.

  “Even if I had my rubber ring, I’d never be able to swim that far,” thought Rebecca. “And even if I could, the GHOSTS would catch me the moment I landed.”

  For the first time she felt utterly defeated. Dusk was falling and the dark surface of the lake looked black and menacing. A cool wind made Rebecca shudder.

  They moved back from the water’s edge to the shelter of some rocks and sat in miserable silence, staring across at the glowing beauty of the GHOST tree. Now, even though it was so near, it seemed further away than when they had begun their journey.

  Darkness drew around them like a velvet cloak. The Splinter Birds nuzzled against Rebecca’s cheek and dropped off to sleep. “Think!” she said to herself.

  And so she thought. She thought of this plan and that plan and then another plan, but none of them worked. She glanced around the dejected faces of her companions. It was obvious that none of them had found a workable plan either.

  Rebecca stood up and walked slowly down to the edge of the water. She stared across at the GHOST tree. Hardly conscious of what she was doing, she turned and walked along the sand, lost in her thoughts. She halted at the low headland of rocks that marked the end of the beach.

  She was about to turn and go back when she heard a voice. It came from the other side of the headland. It was muffled and she couldn’t make out the words, but there was something about the voice she recognised.

  Quickly and quietly, she scrambled up the rocks until she could look down into the next bay. What she saw made her shrink into the shadows.

  It was the GHOSTS main camp. And there, right in the centre, stood Mister Glister and his two servants. It was his voice that Rebecca had recognised. He looked very frightened, but was doing his best to remain calm. Lurk and Cringer shook with terror.

  Rebecca cautiously edged a little closer. As she watched, a GHOST, larger and more frightening than any she had seen, seemed to suddenly materialize in front of Mister Glister. It billowed and swayed in a terrifying manner. For a moment she thought Mister Glister was going to faint. His face turned pale beneath his tan. Then, with an effort, he pulled himself together.

  “I have a plan,” he said.

  The GHOSTS hissed like a nest of snakes.

  “I know that none of you can go near the tree. If you should just so much as touch it, it will destroy you.”

  The GHOSTS seemed to become even angrier. Mister Glister raised his voice slightly.

  “And yet you must always keep it guarded. If Captain ‘K’ could ever reach the tree, he could make enough GHOST wood weapons to drive you from this world forever.”

  Mister Glister’s confidence seemed to grow. He had the full attention of the GHOSTS and he knew it.

  “I have reasons of my own for wanting the tree destroyed.”

  “You certainly have,” thought Rebecca. “If the GHOSTS are driven from this planet all your power and wealth will vanish.”

  “Here is my proposition,” went on Mister Glister. “You will release the three of us. In return, my servants and I will cross to the island first thing in the morning and chop down the GHOST tree. We will saw it into logs and burn it until nothing but ashes remain. You GHOSTS need never fear anything again. You will rule this world completely. Forever.”

  Rebecca felt numb with fear. She could see no way of stopping Mister Glister’s plan.

  The GHOST leader gave its answer.

  “It is agreed,” it hissed. “You will begin as soon as the first sun rises.”

  Rebecca slipped silently from her hiding-place, her only thought to hurry back to the others and tell them the terrible news. She ran swiftly along the beach, staying in the shadows of the rocks, the sound of her footsteps muffled in the sand. She had covered about half the distance to their hiding-place, when she saw something moving ahead of her.

  She slipped silently in
to a dark gap between two rocks. A patrol of GHOSTS was approaching. Rebecca strained her eyes against the darkness. The patrol came closer. Then she saw something that almost made her cry out.

  The GHOSTS were escorting three prisoners. Even in the black of night there was no mistaking them. Grisby, Kovak and Captain ‘K’. They shuffled past Rebecca’s hiding-place, the GHOSTS prodding and pushing them towards their main camp. There was nothing she could do to help them.

  She watched, her eyes blurred with tears, until they were out of sight. And then she really cried. Deep, gulping sobs that she couldn’t stop. She felt so lost and alone and helpless.

  The Splinter Birds pushed their heads against her cheek as though to try and comfort her. Her tears splashed down onto their beaks. “In three or four hours it will be light,” she thought. “Then the tree will be cut and burned. And there is nothing I can do to stop it.”

  And then it came.

  The IDEA.

  It burst like a starshell inside her head. A marvellous, incredible, brilliant IDEA.

  Her tears stopped and her face took on a determined look. What had to be done, had to be done quickly. If she worked fast, there would be just enough time.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  The first of the suns peeped carefully over the horizon, decided it was safe to continue, then beckoned its three brothers to follow it into the sky. The sunbeams shafted down through a haze of light, misty rain, turning the sky into a whirl of rainbows.

  Rebecca was sleeping in the shelter of an overhanging rock. Beside her lay the Splinter Birds. Flat on their backs, legs stuck straight up in the air, they resembled feathered Grisbys. All three of them seemed totally exhausted.

  The sound of cutting axes did nothing to disturb their sleep. Only when there was a loud creak and groan, coming across the water like a cry of pain, did they stir.

  Rebecca sat up and rubbed her eyes. She saw the lovely GHOST tree slowly topple and crash to the ground.

  She stared through the gentle rain across to the island. She could see Mister Glister gathering some of the smaller branches and piling them into a heap. A thin streamer of smoke climbed from the twigs.

  Lurk and Cringer worked with saws, slicing the tree into logs and tossing them onto the fire. Soon, the funeral pyre of the GHOST tree was a blazing inferno. A circle of black smoke hung above it like a wreath.

  On the sand beside Rebecca lay a roughly made bag that she had fashioned from the underskirt of her frock. Just what the bag contained could not be seen, but it bulged heavily.

  Rebecca scooped out two handfuls of the contents and emptied them into her pocket. Then, finding a small, sharp stone, she pierced a tiny hole in the bottom of the bag. This done she gently woke up the two Splinter Birds.

  They stretched their wings and yawned their tweezer beaks.

  “Time we began,” said Rebecca. “You know what to do.”

  Captain ‘K’, Grisby and Kovak stared through the bars of their cave cell, looking at the orange glow of fire from the island. Mister Glister was being careful to pick up every last twig and feed it into the flames. Lurk and Cringer were even sweeping up the sawdust and leaves to make certain that no trace of the GHOST tree would be left.

  All hope had gone. They were defeated. Utterly. A pile of glowing ashes was all that remained of their dream. The GHOSTS had won.

  So shocked and horrified had they been at the destruction of the tree, they had given no thought to their own position. But they were soon reminded of their peril. The door of the cell was flung open and jubilant GHOSTS, hissing with triumph, ushered them out. They were hustled across the sand and made to stand before the GHOST leader.

  “What are they going to do to us?” whispered Grisby.

  “Nothing very nice,” said Kovak.

  “One good thing. They didn’t get Rebecca,” said Captain ‘K’. “Well,” he went on. “We mustn’t let them see we’re afraid. Even if we are.”

  The three friends stood erect. Heads held proudly.

  “Bow,” hissed the GHOST leader.

  The other GHOSTS took up the cry. “Bow.” “Bow.” “Bow.”

  The three remained unmoving, which seemed to drive the GHOST leader into a frenzy.

  “Bow!” it shrieked. “We are the victors! The supreme power of this planet!”

  “Oh no you’re not,” said a little voice.

  The GHOSTS fell silent and slowly turned to stare. Standing on the highest rock of the small headland was Rebecca. She looked nervous, but very determined.

  For a moment the GHOSTS seemed stunned by her daring. As they watched, she clambered down the rock onto the sand and began to advance towards them.

  “Go back, Rebecca! Run for your life!” shouted Grisby.

  Kovak and Captain ‘K’ added their warnings, but their voices were drowned by the angry hiss of the swarming GHOSTS.

  A wave of them started towards Rebecca. But instead of turning to run, she stood her ground. She felt in her pocket and took a handful of something from it. She scattered it on the damp, sandy soil in front of her.

  Immediately, tiny hair-like roots appeared and burrowed into the ground. Wavering green shoots began to poke upwards. With bewildering speed the shoots sprouted small branches, and on them minute leaves began to form.

  The GHOSTS stopped dead, frightened by the miniature forest that was springing up before their eyes. One of them, braver than the rest, slithered forward and tried to pull out one of the plants. There was a ‘plop’ and a ‘hiss’, and the GHOST vanished.

  The other GHOSTS started to retreat.

  Rebecca threw another handful of seeds. They fell amongst the crowding GHOSTS and instantly started to sprout.

  “You’re finished,” Rebecca shouted. “These are GHOST tree seeds. They grow to full size in one day. By tomorrow morning this planet will be covered in great forests of GHOST trees.”

  She pointed up at the sky. High above were the two Splinter Birds, their wings flapping furiously. Held between them in their beaks was the bag made from Rebecca’s petticoat. From the tiny hole in the bottom floated a steady trickle of seed.

  The birds made off over the mountains in the direction of the Glass City, sowing the seeds that would grow into vast forests.

  The GHOSTS fled. In their wild panic to escape some of them trod on the growing seedlings, and immediately exploded and disappeared.

  Rebecca threw another handful of seed to speed them on their way. In what seemed no more than a flicker of the eye, they were gone. The four friends were alone on the beach.

  They raced to one another and embraced. Everybody spoke at once. They laughed and cried with joy.

  Exhausted by the excitement, they all sat on the ground in the shade of the growing GHOST trees. Rebecca told them what had happened.

  “I knew there was no way of getting onto the island or stopping them cutting down the tree,” she said. “And then I remembered what Kovak told me about the GHOST tree seeds. They grow in lovely silver balls like the things you hang on Christmas trees. Just before it was dark I noticed the tree was covered with them.”

  “But how did you collect them?” asked Grisby.

  “I didn’t,” she answered. “The Splinter Birds did. They flew back and forth to the island all night. In the dark the GHOSTS couldn’t see them picking the seed pods. The birds brought the pods back to me, and I cracked them open and emptied the seeds into the bag I’d made.”

  “That’s marvellous,” said Captain ‘K’, kissing her.

  “Terrific,” said Grisby, hugging her.

  “Fantastic,” said Kovak, giving her a hug and a kiss.

  Rebecca said modestly that the Splinter Birds should get all the praise, but she was secretly glad that they went on telling her how clever she had been.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  They journeyed back to the city by another route, walking through sweet smelling forests of GHOST trees. The Splinter Birds had flown back to meet them, and now, as the group near
ed the city, they sat proudly on Grisby’s head.

  Cheering crowds lined the roadway, giving them the sort of welcome that heroes deserve. Captain ‘K’s’ suit was tattered and torn, but somehow he seemed to fill it much better now.

  Grisby had taken an entirely new attitude towards his feet. He was now their master. If one of them dared offer him the slightest twinge of pain, he kicked it with the other.

  Kovak, elated by the tumultuous welcome, changed disguises faster than ever. Wigs, noses, ears, spectacles, teeth and beards came and went so fast that he looked like a crowd.

  Rebecca glanced at his final disguise. “That’s very good,” she said. “You look very handsome.”

  Kovak seemed startled. “I’m not wearing a disguise at the moment,” he said.

  The adventurers were fêted with a great party. There was singing and dancing in the streets, and then everybody surged out to the park and tore down Mister Glister’s GHOST shelters. They would never be needed again.

  Away from the bright glare and excitement stood three shadowy figures. Mister Glister, Lurk and Cringer. Still damp after swimming from the island, they miserably watched the revels.

  Mister Glister stared savagely at the ‘For Sale’ notice that hung on the door of Glister Palace.

  The government which he had once controlled had confiscated all his property and goods. Now he owned only what he stood up in.

  Out of pure habit and bad temper he banged Lurk and Cringer’s heads together. He was astonished to feel a stinging cuff around the ear and a dizzying thump on the top of his head. Lurk and Cringer had struck him back!

  “You’d better get used to the idea,” said Cringer.

  “You work for us now,” added Lurk. And they both gave him a sharp kick.

  And though he hated it, Mister Glister smiled and said, “Thank you, Gentlemen. Most kind of you, Sirs. Very grateful.”

  * * *

  Rebecca pushed open the door of the laboratory and stepped inside cautiously. Grisby, Kovak and Captain ‘K’ followed her. They looked around in wonder at the round room.