by Brian Smith
“Did you not hear what these children just said? They killed the dragon this morning. Go and look and see if it’s true. And to make sure you don’t lie to me you will take a sword along and cut off one of the dragon’s claws. Bring it to me. Now go before I really punish you!”
Seeing the chief’s dangerous look in the eye the bandit thought it wiser to obey. He quickly took a sword and shield and walked to the dragon’s mountain.
“Now we will have a nice time here and wait until my man returns,” the chief said. “Enjoy the fruit and tell me more about where you come from.”
The children did not feel so hungry anymore but decided it was better to eat and entertain the bandit. They were still his prisoners and there was no telling what might happen if his good mood turned sour. And besides they were worried about what the bandit sent to look at the dead dragon would find. Suddenly they were not so sure anymore if it was really dead. Is it possible to tickle a dragon to death? Or was it just unconscious? And then they remembered how the phoenix had suddenly vanished. What if dead dragons also vanished like that? They spent several uneasy hours waiting for the bandit to return. It was a quiet part of the day, too hot outside for even birds to sing. The bandits lay around lazily and the children passed the time dozing and eating fruit. They thought about escaping but they were always closely watched by the chief and his guards. Suddenly the door opened and the bandit came back from his mission to the dragon cave. He went to the chief, bowed low, and with a look of admiration to the children said “It’s true, the dragon is dead”. And with these words he dropped one of the dragon’s claws on the floor in front of the chief.
Fire
For a second everything was silent. Then everyone talked at the same time. The dragon was dead! Killed by the very children who were sitting here with the chief! It was incredible. Even the bandit chief who usually liked to appear cool and superior couldn’t hide his admiration.
“You must be the most dangerous and courageous people I have ever met,” the chief said. “And I will be very happy to have you at my side as real bandits. We will rob the rich together and you will have everything you have ever dreamed of. Now what do you say, isn’t that a grand offer?”
The idea of having everything they’d ever dreamed of did seem attractive, but the children were too honest to steal and rob though, of course, they didn’t tell the bandits that.
“That’s very kind and generous of you,” Edward said. “But we have a mission to fulfil. We must find a real pirate and I must fight him. Until then we’re not able to do anything else.”
The chief frowned and his good mood seemed to change. He wasn’t used to anyone saying NO to him, especially when he made what he thought was a very generous offer. He was silent for a minute with all eyes resting on him. Then a thought struck him.
“So after you’ve fought with a pirate you’ll be free?” he asked.
“Well, er, yes,” Edward said. There was no need to tell the bandit that upon fulfilling his dare he would magically return to his own time and home. And if withholding a little information like that made it possible for them to escape from the bandits then all the better.
“Excellent,” the chief said. “For someone who killed a dragon it should be easy to fight a mere pirate. I’ll show you where to go and when you’ve finished you can come back here. Your two friends will wait here with me till you’ve succeeded.”
Anthony and Ching felt terrible. Staying with the bandit while Edward went alone to fight a pirate seemed like a very bad idea. And not only that, if Edward succeeded then he and Anthony would immediately be taken away by magic while poor Ching would still be a prisoner of the bandits. What would the bandits do to her? It was hard to imagine the anger of the bandit chief when he understood that the boys had tricked him. Was it fair to leave Ching alone with him to suffer the punishment for something she hadn’t done?
While the children were thinking about these things the Chief suddenly had another idea.
“Actually there is no need for me to show you where the pirates are. I’ll give you Gormless Geng to show you the way. His head is so empty maybe you can fill it with something useful during your mission.” He thought this was so funny that he burst into laughter and all the bandits laughed with him. All except Geng who felt insulted by the chief.
Edward felt his heart sink lower and lower at the way things were turning out, but he did not betray his emotions. He just said “We’ll be back soon.” and then motioned to Geng to show him the way.
Being separated from his friends made Edward feel terrible. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse, but he was determined to find a way to succeed. “Fortune smiles on the daring!” he said.
He thought things over carefully. If he wanted to succeed he needed a good plan. He couldn’t abandon Anthony and Ching so that meant he had to find a way of rescuing them before he went to the pirates. Then there was Geng. Even though the chief thought Geng was gormless Edward wasn’t so sure. Geng was clumsy, but that didn’t mean he was stupid or that his head was empty. And the way the chief treated Geng in front of everyone was very rude and insulting.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Geng hates the chief and would like to get his own back,” Edward thought. “The question is, how can I get Geng to help me free Anthony and Ching? Maybe flattery will help. I don’t think anyone’s ever been kind to Geng before.”
He went a bit faster to catch up with Geng and then walked beside him.
“You know, Geng, I’m very sorry about what happened at the tree.”
Geng looked surprised. “You are?”
“Yes, I think it’s terrible how the chief insulted you in front of everyone else. What right has he to do that?”
“He’s the chief.”
“And as the chief he should treat all his men with respect. You work so hard for him, you fight for him and risk your life. And what do you get in return? Insults!”
Geng looked surprised and didn’t know what to say. No one had ever put matters like that before, but deep inside he felt the words stirred strong feelings. Feelings of injustice and anger that had been growing for a long time.
Seeing Geng so thoughtful encouraged Edward. He knew he was on the right track.
“Tell me Geng, what reward has the chief promised you for helping me against the pirates?”
“I’m not to help you, I’m just showing you the way.”
“If I fight the pirates and they kill me, do you think they’ll just let you go? I think they’ll kill you too.”
Geng hadn’t thought of this before, but he knew Edward was probably right. Pirates weren’t nice people at all. He suddenly stopped walking.
“I don’t want to die,” he said. “Let me tell you the way and then you go on your own, all right? But don’t tell the chief about it.”
Edward shook his head. “That won’t work, I’m afraid. I can’t lie to the chief. He always knows when people lie to him and then what would he do to you if he caught you telling a lie? And anyway, I can’t fight the pirates.”
Geng looked surprised. “But you told the chief you had to fight a pirate.”
“That’s right, but I need my friends to help me. I can’t do it without them.”
Geng slowly shook his head. “Not good,” he said. “Not good at all. What can we do?”
Edward sensed his chance. “There’s only one thing we can do, we have to free my friends and with their help we’ll go and fight the pirates.”
Geng was shocked. “We can’t do that. The chief would be angry, terribly angry. You don’t know what he’s like when he’s angry. And then what will he do to us when we go back?”
“That’s easy,” Edward said. “We don’t go back. You can come with us, Geng. And then the chief can never be rude to you again.”
The idea of tricking the chief seemed very attractive to Geng. And not going back again made it an even better idea.
“I’ll show you who’s gormless now,” he said. “You th
ink my head is empty and I’m stupid, but I’ll show you, I’m still cleverer than you, chief,” he said aloud and it was a good thing the chief couldn’t hear him or he would have had Geng’s head cut off at once.
Geng looked at Edward. “But how can we get them out of the camp?”
That was a question Edward wasn’t sure of himself yet. He needed time to think. He rubbed his nose and put his other hand in his pocket. He felt the lighter in it.
“I’ve got it,” he said confidently. Come Geng, I know just how to do it.”
Geng followed him feeling impressed. “You really know how to trick the chief and get your friends out?” he said surprised.
Edward grinned at him. “Just come along and I’ll show you.
On the way Edward gathered dry leaves and moss and little dry twigs. Geng helped him though he didn’t understand what Edward wanted to do. They soon got back to the camp. It was still very hot in the sun and all the bandits were indoors. Edward and Geng quietly crept to the back of the storage hut where all the bandits’ precious things were kept. He put all the leaves, moss and twigs in the middle under the firewood that lay piled up against the wall. Then he took his lighter out and started a fire. He waited a few seconds to make sure that the fire took hold. Geng’s eyes were open in astonishment and terror. He was about to say something but Edward quickly put his hand over Geng’s mouth.
“Quiet,” Edward said. “You don’t want the chief to know we’re here, do you? All we have to do now is hide behind the chief’s hut and wait till someone discovers the fire. Then they’ll all run here and we can rescue my friends. It’s easy!”
They quietly hurried to find a good hiding place and then settled down. Geng was flabbergasted. He didn’t know what to say or think. Such daring as Edward showed was unheard of, it was unimaginable.
It hadn’t rained for some time and the wood was dry. It didn’t take long for the fire to grow big. Then it began to burn the wooden hut. Thick black smoke drifted across the bandit camp and the crackling sound of a raging fire grew louder and louder. Then they heard shouting.
“Fire!” a voice cried. “Our warehouse is on fire! Help! Help! All our beautiful things are burning!”
There was a panic in the camp. All the bandits ran to the scene of the fire and started carrying things out of the burning building. In the chaos and panic the bandits completely forgot about Anthony and Ching. Edward and Geng dashed into the chief’s hut, grabbed their friends and ran out of the camp as fast as they could.
Farewell
After their mad dash from the bandit camp the four escapees ran and ran until their legs wouldn’t carry them any farther. When they saw a large shady tree they dropped to the ground and lay panting for several minutes. After they had caught their breath again Edward had to explain how he had tricked the bandits.
“Wow,” Anthony said. “That was amazing. I didn’t think you’d manage to get us out of there alive.”
Ching looked at Geng.
“What about him?” she asked.
“He’s with us now,” Edward said. “He’s a good man and we sure can use him on our next mission.”
Geng felt very pleased. No one had ever praised him before.
Edward nudged Anthony and whispered something in his ear.
“I’m sorry I was rude to you,” Anthony said.
Geng smiled. “That’s all right. We’re friends now, right?”
They all shook hands, happy at having a new friend, for it is always good to have more friends and fewer enemies.
“So what about those pirates?” Anthony asked. “Do you know where they are, Geng?”
Geng nodded. “They’re not far from here on another island. We’ll need a boat to get there. But it’s terribly dangerous. Pirates are fierce, they’re just like monsters who will eat you first and then laugh about it later.”
“And how can we get a boat?” Anthony asked.
“My father can help,” Ching said. “He’s a fisherman. He’ll know how to take us there. The pirates are on Cheung Chau Island, aren’t they Geng?”
Geng nodded. “That’s right. It is said that they keep their treasure in a cave and whoever they capture and take to their island does not leave it alive again.”
The children gulped.
Geng smiled. “But for you it can’t be a problem. If you can kill a dragon and trick the bandit chief then everything must be possible for you,” he said confidently.
The children said nothing, but in their hearts they didn’t feel so confident at all. If anything they were terrified by what Geng had told them about the fierce bloodthirsty pirates. How could they possibly fight them and come out alive? And even if Edward survived the fight and he and Anthony ended their mission, what about Ching and Geng? They might still be in the cruel clutches of the pirates.
“Well,” Ching said. “It’s no use sitting around here worrying about things. I say let’s go and see what we can do. Come, I’ll take you to my father.”
They all agreed and as they were rested enough they set off for the hamlet where Ching and her father lived. It took them almost an hour to get to the hamlet. As they came nearer they heard loud banging of musical instruments and the voices of people wailing.
“Oh no,” Ching said. “It’s funeral music. Someone must have died. I hope my father…”
She dashed forward and ran all the way with the others following behind. When they reached the hamlet they saw people dressed all in white as the Chinese always do at a funeral. When Ching ran into the hamlet all the noise suddenly stopped.
“My daughter, my dear beloved Ching!” a man cried out.
“Father!” Ching called and ran forwards. “What has happened father? Who is dead?”
“You my child. We thought you were dead. No one has ever returned from the dragon and when these two brave boys didn’t come back we were sure you had all been eaten by the dragon. But now everything is well.” He turned to the other villagers. “Put all this away. This is not a day of mourning, this is the happiest day in my life! My daughter has returned from the evil dragon. Let us celebrate.”
The villagers were ecstatic. In their excitement they were unable to listen to anything the four friends had to say. The villagers took them into the biggest house and quickly brought food and drinks to celebrate. Only then were they ready to listen to the story. And what a story it was! The villagers listened with their mouths agape and even forgot to eat and drink. And when the last part of their adventures had been told the villagers were even more excited than before if that was possible.
“And now what?” one of the villagers asked. “You’re not really going to cross over to the pirates’ island, are you?”
“I’m afraid I have to,” Edward said sadly. “It’s the only way Anthony and I can get home again.”
“And we’re going to help you, aren’t we Dad?” Ching said.
Her father looked to the ground.
“Oh Dad, we can’t abandon them, not after all they’ve done for us.”
He sighed while all eyes rested on him. “Of course we will help them, or rather I will help them. You’ve been through enough and a pirate island is no place for a girl.”
“But Dad…”
“I will take them in my boat when it is dark. But what is the use of you going too? These boys will simply go back to their world, they will vanish and there’s nothing any pirate will be able to do about it. But you would need rescuing from them, and who would be able to do such a thing?”
“Your father’s right,” Anthony said. “We’ll be all right, but once Edward has completed his mission we’ll disappear. We won’t be able to help you anymore.”
Ching let her head hang. She was sad to let her new friends go even if she knew they were right.
“What about me?” Geng asked. “I can’t go back to the bandits and I don’t want to be a bandit anyway. It’s a horrid way of living.”
“You may stay with us if you like,” one of the villagers offer
ed.
Geng gladly accepted and thus everything was settled. They spent the last hours of daylight together and when dusk came it was time to say their farewells. Ching had tears in her eyes and she gave Anthony and Edward big hugs.
“Don’t forget me,” she said and waved to them.
“We won’t,” the boys replied and waved back. Another minute and they were out of sight. Ching’s father took them to his boat. They got into the boat and cast off. It soon became dark and what a night it was. The moon was a thin sickle in the inky sky where thousands upon thousands of stars twinkled down on the sea. There was little wind and so the boat slowly sailed towards its destination. It was midnight by the time they reached Cheung Chau Island where the pirates were based. The little boat ran aground on a sandy beach and the two boys jumped out.
“Goodbye and thanks,” they said.
“I have to thank you,” was the reply. “Good luck!”
The boys didn’t stay to watch the boat sail away, they were too visible on the beach.
“Let’s hide somewhere quickly,” Anthony said.
And without another word they ran towards the black area where bushes and trees had to be. It was too dark to see anything.
“I think we’d best lie down and get a few hours rest,” Edward suggested. “We can’t see anything anyway and I don’t want to fall over a sleeping pirate in the dark.”
“That would be really scary,” Anthony agreed.
They found a soft bit of sandy ground hidden between some bushes beside the beach and lay down for the rest of the night.
The Fight
The next morning came sooner than the tired boys wanted. Night gave way to dawn, and dawn gave way to sunrise at about six o’clock in the morning. The sun’s powerful hot light shone on the island again and onto the two boys, but that’s not what woke them up. They were woken by a pair of big black boots that kicked them. They woke up angrily and opened their eyes. Looking down at them were several bearded faces who laughed loud. The pirates!
Two of them bent down and grabbed the boys by their ankles, lifted them up and put them over their shoulders. Edward and Anthony struggled at first, but it was no use. The pirates were just too strong. It wasn’t a fight, they were simply being carried away. It was a terrible feeling, being so helpless. First the bandits had caught them and now the pirates. They had a lucky escape with the bandits, but what would the pirates do?