Colin, who up to this stage had been amused by what was happening and his sister’s treatment of the men, turned deathly pale when he saw the armoured monster. Without considering what to do next, he took to his heels down the track from the clearing. He was very closely followed by the workmen who had dropped the chainsaws and the axe. The foreman, footpump quickly forgotten, abandoned his struggle with the wheel and sped into the woods with them.
Then Croga decided to help the men on their way, although it was not really necessary at all. She hastily conjured up some clouds that scudded over the fleeing workmen’s heads and shot flashing bolts of lightning that glanced off the ground around them.
The Glyptodon approached the bulldozer, head down to face it straight on, its mace-like tail swishing dangerously.
It was all too much for the driver. He screamed with fright and leapt from the big machine before scurrying out of sight. The armoured animal was not interested in so insignificant an enemy and let him run away.
Then the Glyptodon began to demolish the bulldozer with relative ease. He swung his tail and smashed it into the side of the machine, causing it to topple over with the impact of the blow. Bellowing again, he trounced the overturned dozer so that bits and pieces of metal began to fly in all directions.
In the meantime, Sabina decided to take advantage of the huge animal’s singleminded attack on her father’s expensive machine, which was quickly being beaten to a pulp. She started her jeep and began to reverse away.
Gorum, not wanting to be left out, pointed beneath it. Immediately, a swampy pool started to emerge from the ground all around the vehicle and the wheels sank quickly in the mud. Soon there was no way the jeep could be driven as the water surged and swirled under it.
Sabina climbed onto the roof of the car. “You’ve all deserted me, you cowards,” she roared after the men who were nowhere to be seen. They were having problems of their own. “You’ve left a poor defenceless girl at the mercy of some prehistoric monster. Help!” But her cries fell on deaf ears, except for those of the Glyptodon, who, satisfied with his work on the bulldozer, looked up and stared at the young woman.
Curiosity getting the better of him, he ambled over to Sabina. Not wanting to experience the same treatment as the bulldozer, she dived off the roof and into the brackish water. Jumping to her feet, soaked and terrified, she waded out of the oozing pool without looking over her shoulder. Then she began to run faster than she had ever done before, the water in her boots squelching. Very soon she was out of sight around a bend in the track. Had she glanced back, she would have seen Sona thank the Glyptodon and then Trom turn it back to being a lifeless boulder. It had served a great purpose.
But there were still things to be done.
Mulligan ran to the fallen oak tree that was stone from tip to root. “Kang and Aroo, where are you my little friends?” he called in a faltering voice. He was met with total silence.
The Shamrogues gathered round the big man’s feet. There was little they could bring themselves to say as Trom removed the petrifying spell and returned the oak to normal.
Then it was Glic’s turn. “Stand back,” the green creature advised as he hopped onto a tree stump and concentrated very hard. Mulligan, because of his height, retreated further than the others. He was full of sadness for his furry companions. Of all the trees they had to hide in, why did it have to be the great oak?
Glic waggled his fingers. With creaks and groans, the tree slowly began to rise as though it was being lifted upright by invisible hands. It was an amazing sight, the fallen tree gradually reaching higher and higher into the air.
Soon the damaged oak was standing totally straight so that it once again towered over the other trees of Oak Glade. As if in welcome, the sun broke through the misty gloom and filled the clearing with new brightness. At that moment, something else could be heard. Chatter! Squirrel chatter!
Mulligan, beaming, peered up into the sunlit tree, his radiant smile exposing his pearly white teeth. Kang and Aroo raced down the trunk of the tree and leaped into the big man’s outstretched arms. He rubbed and patted the furry creatures.
“Just as the oak was about to topple,” Kang explained. “I convinced Aroo to join me in an old hollow high up in the tree. It saved our lives, and for a while we thought we were in a small cave.”
“That was because I turned the tree to stone,” Trom laughed. “Thank goodness for caves.”
“Now we have something to really celebrate,” Glic enthused. “I’ll perform my grand finale. Watch!”
He waggled his fingers once more and aimed them at the oak that still looked a little bedraggled after its ordeal. The foliage seemed to perk up and become greener, and then beautiful blooms and blossoms of all shades and colours began to form on the branches. The sunlight caught the flowers in all their glory and they created an amazing display of beauty. The miracle of magic was complete.
With ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs’, the birds and animals of the forest witnessed the wonderful spectacle. Then the tree slowly returned to its natural state. But for the monstrous machinery abandoned and left behind, Oak Glade returned to normal.
“What about all this stuff?” Mulligan asked, still warmly holding Kang and Aroo. “Not only are they a terrible eyesore, but if those scoundrels ever return they can make use of them again.”
“Oh, no problem there,” Trom said, his eyebrows raised and his eyes glinting wisely. “I’m sure you’d like to have a few souvenirs to remember this magical morning by.” The leader lifted his right arm and twirled his forefinger in the air as he began to chant:
You’re big and strong, or so you think,
But now’s the time for you to shrink!
Immediately the bulky machinery became the size of small toys. Mulligan was more than amazed. He strode to them and, bending on one knee, picked up the altered vehicles.
“Strewth!” he declared, and he stuffed them into his pocket. “Blinkin’ mind bogglin’.”
Chapter Ten
Croga’s Boast
The Shamrogues, Mulligan and the two squirrels walked through the forest along the riverbank. They were all in good spirits and chatted freely and sometimes giddily about their success at thwarting the McNamaras and their workmen. Once they got back to the cavern, they would celebrate with a nice cup of tea. They were approaching the deep pool which had formed beside the boulder-strewn weir, when Gorum said, ‘Look!’
He nodded to a sleek furry creature that lay motionless near a dried heap of twigs on the muddy bank. “TukTuk is sleeping in the morning sunshine.” He wondered that she didn’t wake with their rowdy arrival. Suddenly he felt uneasy. He sniffed at the air.
Mulligan, sensing that all was not right, motioned for everyone to be still. “Wait here,” he said.
The big man edged down the steep bank to the otter. He knelt and stroked TukTuk’s flank, which was rigid and cold.
The Shamrogues crowded each other to get a better view. Mulligan looked sadly up the bank to them. He teased the animal’s bristly coat with his fingertips. Then, settling his hat, he leaned his elbow on his knee and stared down at the otter.
“I’m afraid she’s been dead for some time.” The big man picked up the limp body and slowly rose from the ground. He gently carried TukTuk to the top of the bank where he laid her on the grass. The others gathered round.
“I suspected as much,” Gorum said.
“The unsettling aura the otter carried about her was the shadow of death from which she could not escape,” Mulligan said.
“Now we must bury a friend we never really got to know,” Trom said. “We can do it here, beside the pool where she had made her home.”
Sona shook her head. “She didn’t have much of a chance to enjoy this beautiful place.”
Mulligan hooked his thumbs in his braces. “We must talk about this later. I’ll just nip back to the cave for a shovel.”
When he had gone, Glic proposed a resting place for TukTuk beneath a willow tree
.
“She’ll be at peace there,” Croga said. “TukTuk would have liked your choice.”
A while later, they paid their final respects and completed the burial.
“TukTuk’s death worries me,” Mulligan said. “When we get back to my den, you must tell me what the otter told you, Sona.” The group made their way to the cavern in silence.
Sona explained to Mulligan what TukTuk had said about coming across the wide salt water in search of a pollution-free place to live. She told him about the fish being no longer good to eat and the huge building with the smoky towers.
The big man, settled and drinking his tea, carefully listened to the tiny pink creature. From time to time he nodded to assure all present that he knew and understood what was being told to him.
Gorum broke into the conversation. “I could sense the poison that TukTuk was filled with. It must have come from her having eaten so many sick fish before she left that foul expanse of water!”
Kang chattered to Aroo, “I’m so glad we don’t depend on food that has to be caught in the water.”
“Yes,” agreed Aroo. “Give me nuts and berries every time. You don’t have to chase after them and bash them over the head!”
Mulligan, who was feeling both happy and sad at the same moment, put down the mug he was drinking from and began his explanation.
“Poor TukTuk. She came from a location across the sea. The very same sea that we flew over with Molag and her bats. There’s a power station right on the British coast, which deals with deadly substances called plutonium and uranium. It’s got huge buildings which reprocess waste chemicals that are some of the most powerful and damaging materials on earth. And the whole purpose is to create energy so that people’s houses can be bright and warm. I’m afraid the otter must have dwelt close to it. She wouldn’t have been aware of the dangers.”
Croga was intrigued. Her powers over the elements were no trifling matter either. “But surely mankind can use these things safely, and for people’s benefit,” she said.
“I’m afraid you’re both right and wrong, Croga.” Mulligan spoke seriously and wore an expression that indicated he was bothered by the yellow creature’s sensible but naive remark. He earnestly studied each Shamrogue in turn. They returned his gaze and waited while the big man thought for almost a minute. He brushed his heavy moustache with the back of his hand.
“What I feel compelled to tell you is not very nice, at all…at all. You see, rather than use this immense power for purely peaceful means, man is also using it to create weapons of war.”
The Shamrogues were shocked to hear this. There had always been conflict in the world, but this sounded like things had gotten out of hand.
Croga said, “Nothing can survive without the sun that shines life into every living thing. A similar power, here on our own planet, should only be used to benefit the Earth’s population.”
Mulligan sighed. “If only that could be the way. This loathsome energy is so dangerous that even exposure to a little amount can cause sickness or death to human and animal life. Not to mention plants and the very atmosphere itself.”
Gorum was extremely curious. “Mulligan, what is this powerful threat known as?”
The big man’s mind seemed to be distant and remote as he answered. “It’s called nuclear power.”
“New-killer power…” Croga muttered. “So that’s what killed TukTuk the otter, new-killer power.”
No one spoke as each considered these frightening words. Suddenly the cavern seemed to be filled with a chilling coldness that made them shiver and draw closer to the glowing embers of the fire. Hideous forms and shapes seemed to loom eerily amongst the white-hot cindery timbers like messengers of destiny. But Croga could not remain quiet for long.
“I would like to see this wondrous-yet-horrible thing that man has created. I must understand why…” she said.
“No,” Mulligan advised solemnly. “Even with all your magic, you would be revealing yourself to the most formidable destructive energy possessed by man. Your crusade to make the world a better place will not be respected because it simply does not care.”
“You may indeed be correct,” Gorum asserted. “I have such forebodings about all of this that I think we must take Mulligan’s advice and leave well enough alone. If there is a superior energy to ours, then we will simply have to respect it for what it is.”
The blue creature seemed pleased with himself. After all, apart from his principal duty and responsibility to water, was he not also charged with the task of advising the other Shamrogues? Caffa, the high druid, had told him that this was expected of him.
But Croga was dismayed. She folded her arms and scowled at Gorum. “I’ve never heard such rot! When we were given the wonderful gift of knowledge and our various powers by the druids, we were expected to help mankind and the environment at some time in the future. And this seems to me to be the time!”
Gorum prepared to reply, but their leader didn’t want to hear any of it. Where such serious matters were concerned, squabbling and arguments were never a solution. “Harump! Cease this bickering. We need to talk this out.”
There was silence for a moment. Croga broke it with the use of one word which stabbed the air. “Talk?!” she exclaimed in a voice that held more than a hint of disobedience.
To the total astonishment of all, the yellow creature rose and marched to the entrance where the screen had been left aside. Sunshine painted everything in bright tones as she stepped out and took up a position on the patch in front. Here, she stopped and beckoned to the others. They quickly assembled at the mouth of the cave. Trom was sorely tempted to command Croga to return immediately, but, like the others, he was curious and so remained quiet.
Croga raised her arms and closed her eyes. She bent slightly backwards so that her face was directed to the clear blue sky far above Coillduff Forest. Croga mumbled a chant but no one could understand the words.
Soon, however, it became obvious that a change was slowly taking place. It began with a distant rumbling sound that increased with the passing of each second, and then a slight breeze began to gather momentum. Overhead, puffy grey clouds gathered, turned black and began to change shape. The onlookers became increasingly aware that a raging storm was approaching.
Croga appeared to be swaying with the effort of her concentration. But she continued to keep her arms raised and to chant the spell. Dried leaves, dead grasses and lifeless twigs blew past and around her as the tempest grew in ferocity.
“This wicked storm will blow my little yellow friend away,” Mulligan said as he held on to his hat which the wind was trying to snatch off his head. He peered at the leaden clouds. “Failing that, she’ll be drowned in the downpour. Just look up there…it’s going to rain cats and dogs any minute. I’d better get her inside!”
Trom halted the big man before he could venture out.
“I think I’m starting to understand the spell Croga is conjuring up. Let her have her way. It should be worth the experience to test her ability with the Earth’s elements.”
“Yes, yes,” Sona and Glic blurted as one. “Croga is going to entertain us with a feast of her very best magic.”
Gorum was still dubious. The unease he felt about the chemical reprocessing plant across the Irish Sea would not leave him. He sat glumly on a rock and frowned at Kang and Aroo who leaned closely together in order to comfort each other.
Fierce storms, especially in a forest full of trees, are never pleasant to observe. There was an enormous deafening peal of thunder as the force of the violent disturbance overhead rent the heavens apart. A raging torrent of heavy raindrops descended and pelted the forest floor with their sudden impact. The howling cry of the bitter wind ripped through the wood, and sounded like it was in mourning for all the wrongs and wrongdoings on the planet.
All this time, Croga remained in the same place. Now she began to move and wave her arms as though she was conducting a celestial orchestra. Fingers stretched,
she aimed them at a massive black cloud. Immediately, a tremendous snaking limb of blue lightning streaked across the sky, only to split into jagged fiery shards that lit the whole scene with blinding flashes.
Croga was becoming soaked with the merciless deluge, but she continued to hold her ground. She flexed her fingers and pointed upwards again. This time the electric discharge from the clouds was a frightening symphony of crashes and flashes that bombarded the whole forest.
Kang and Aroo chattered nervously. Never before had they witnessed such a horrendously spectacular storm. With everything shrouded by darkness, the knifing bolts of flame from the sky were even more remarkable. However, peculiar as it seemed, there was not one bit of damage done to the plants or trees.
Mulligan was rendered speechless by the awesome sorcery that Croga was capable of. Truly, she possessed a most astounding power to be reckoned with. She was certainly making her point. But still…
Croga suddenly straightened, crossed her hands one above the other and swiftly directed them downwards. On this occasion, she shouted an audible command. “Cease…!”
Quicker than it had begun, the storm disappeared from the sky and the screeching winds died down to a mild breezy whisper. The sun shone with renewed intensity and, like on a mid-summer’s day after a shower, a hazy mist shimmered upwards through the trees.
Everything glistened from the rain, foliage sprouted greener than it had before, and birds sang cheerily in the dripping branches and fluffed their feathers to help them dry.
Croga, looking a little exhausted by her exertions, returned to the cavern. The others stepped aside to let her pass and then followed her to the fire, where she warmed her hands.
Trom gave her an admonishing look but decided to keep quiet for a while.
“That was simply breathtaking,” Aroo assured Croga. Kang agreed and his eyes looked adoringly at the yellow creature. Then both squirrels chattered and teased each other before performing an enthusiastic chase about the cave and then hopping out into the refreshing woodland air.
The Shamrogues Page 8