by J. M. Wilson
Ruby smiled to herself.
‘That’s what he meant by hummers’.
Quite obvious to her now.
She had been thinking of the four-wheel drive vehicles that blocked the road outside her school at dropping off ,and picking up time.
“Ridiculous” she said, mocking herself for her stupidity.
“Go jump on one Ruby. Like this. Watch!”
Ruby watched in wonder as Berty climbed on the back of a Bumblebee. Berty rode the bees, swapping from one to another, until he found the fastest and most busy one. He enjoyed their vibrating hum and strength. The bees, to her surprise did not seem to be bothered by Berty hijacking a ride.
In fact she thought, they looked like they enjoyed it.
Without a second thought for the fact that bees have stings, that they fly and buzz, or the fact that she was the girl who screamed at harmless flying daddy-long-legs, Ruby took position on the back of a large yellow and black, fluffy, fat bee. The bee felt soft and warm, yet muscular, as he hummed with power, going about his business. Ruby soon realised there was a reason the bees did not mind this liberty, for as they ducked into the flowers, pollen stuck, not only to the bee, but to the pair of them also! Watching what Berty did, Ruby copied.
She scraped at the pollen all over her and then slung it into the baskets on the bees legs.
So for a while, Ruby and Berty became the Bumblebees’ little helpers.
‘How fab is this’ Ruby thought.
Ruby and Berty lost all track of time. Only when the light began to fade did the children consider that they had probably been more than half an hour.
Rushing back to Berty’s dwelling, Ruby said,
“That was so cool Berty!”
As they snuck back into the house, Berty said in a whisper,
“Your bee was cold? That is unusual, he might be ill or something.”
Ruby was about to say that she did not mean cool as in cold, but before she could get a word out Berty had shushed her to stay quiet.
He could hear his parents preparing supper in the kitchen.
“You go up to Dena’s room. Stay real quiet, and I’ll bring you some supper later.” Berty whispered.
He joined his parents in the kitchen as supper was being served.
“Your sister is late. Berty have you seen her today?”
“No mama, I’ve been out”
With that, the door to the Perkins home was heard opening and they all knew Dena was home.
Dena walked into the kitchen and sat with her family.
She chatted with them all, and casually asked Berty what he had been up to.
“He’s been out,” said their mama.
Berty visibly shrunk a little with guilt, waiting for his sister to give him a subtle disapproving stare.
“Oh right! where to today then Berty?”
Not waiting for him to answer, she then went on with something she had just remembered.
“Oh! before I forget Dear Brother, Mr Proffer popped into the Book House today. He brought me some juice, and a tale.” She turned to Berty.
“About you! You were supposed to be helping him?”
And so Dena went on, and told the full tale of what had happened earlier in the week. How Berty had bumped into Old Proffer, sending his seeds flying. His mum and dad reproached him a bit, and said he really should make a point of going to help Mr Proffer re-gather for his winter store. When the meal was over Berty made up a basket of food saying he was still hungry. His parents looked at him aghast as he loaded a basket. His mother was thinking, as Berty was in mid promise about getting around to helping Mr Proffer, ‘where does he put it?’
Dena excused herself when she had finished her supper.
She got up to leave the table.
‘Great’ thought Berty, ‘let’s get the telling-off out the way’.
She was bound to tell him off for going out to play, and then we shall know what our next move is.
“I’m off next door,” said Dena, “Mr and Mrs Gatherums said they might need a babysitter. I said if I wasn’t busy I would do it.”
Berty swung round from what he was doing.
“But you are busy!” he said.
“No I’m not.” Said Dena, making a puzzled look at Berty, and then at her Parents. “You are! Remember?” He asserted.
“No. I am not.” Dena said it slowly pronouncing all of her words as if to say, listen to what I’m saying. Mr and Mrs Perkin watched the exchange between their children. “Whatever you two have, or have not, got organised,” said Mr Perkin, “Can you sort this out elsewhere. Your mother and I have to take stock of the harvest we have gathered.”
Dena shrugged, and left the kitchen.
She said she felt strangely tired, like she had missed a whole nights sleep. She had to go to her room and catch forty-winks, before she went round to the Gatherums.
Berty picked up his basket, as Dena left the room.
He thought something was wrong.
Dena was acting normal, and things were far from normal.
Berty followed a few moments behind his sister.
Dena was in her room.
Berty could hear the commotion of voices coming from it.
Perhaps she was telling Ruby off first, he thought.
Dena shot out from her bedroom doorway and ploughed into Berty.
‘Here we go, my turn’ were his next thoughts, until Dena said,
“There is a strange girl in my room Berty.”
Oh yes, something was definitely wrong.
“Shush Dena,” said Berty; trying to usher Dena back into her room, and carry the basket of food at the same time.
“You know she’s there. You put her there!”
“I did no such thing! I don’t even know who she is!”
“Dena, I wouldn’t lie to you, would I, not about something like this?”
Dena did trust her brother.
She took Berty’s hand as he led her back to her room where Ruby waited.
Ruby was totally confused by Dena’s reaction to her being there. She had watched as Dena had practically jumped out of her skin when she had walked in on her, finding Ruby reading, sat on her bed.
Once Berty had his sister back in her room, he began hurriedly to briefly explain once again what had happened over the last couple of days, and Dena’s involvement in it.
“That is the most ridiculous story I have ever heard,” Dena retorted.
“Utter Rubbish,” Dena barked, as she turned on Ruby.
“Now you had better start talking and tell me where you’re from, and how you managed to pull my brother into this!”
“Right. OK, I don’t know what’s going on Dena,” said Ruby feeling slightly panicked by this situation,
“But this morning you showed me your hiding place. You put some papers in it. Does that make any sense to you?”
Berty stood and stared. He was just as confused as to what was going on, as both the girls were.
It didn’t make any sense to Dena.
But then how would this stranger know she had a hiding place in her room?
Unless, she had been snooping of course.
But what about the papers she said she had put in it?
Totally at a loss for words, Dena went to her hiding place.
As the strange girl had said, there were indeed some papers.
After having read the confirmation of Berty’s story in her own handwriting, outlining the events of the night before, before she had gone to Mr Proffers, Dena stared in disbelief.
She knew what had been done to her.
She didn’t know how though, and she didn’t know why.
However, she certainly intended to find out.
“You two! Stay here, out of sight. I’ve got to go out.”
She left them there in the room.
“Something is so not right Ruby. I’m going to follow her. You stay here!” Said Berty.
“No,” Ruby said, “We go together.”
It was dark outside.
As was the way with the Manushi, once darkness came, they retired to their homes, to socialize with their families. Myton, as was normal for this hour, was free of people. Still, Berty and Ruby were careful not to been seen. They managed to catch up with Dena, without her knowing. They followed her to Mr Proffers. They watched as Mrs Proffer answered the door and told Dena that Mr proffer was at an unscheduled meeting of the Highest Council, in the Highest Council chambers.
“If you make haste Dena, you might catch them before they start.”
Dena raced to the bubbling stream, that gurgled down the hillside, where so many Mytons had made their homes. The stream had become unpredictable in recent years, prone to flooding. Many Mytons had moved further away from it, leaving an eery emptiness behind.
Still, the Highest Council Chambers had not been moved. They occupied a cavern, way below the ground, somewhere under the stream. The cavern was majestic, with its range of coloured rock and metal pyrites, ‘Fools Gold’, that sparkled from its walls and ceiling. The ceiling glistened, as the chemical light used here, bounced around the room.
The cavern was always completely dark, unless lit with these lights.
Dark, and away from prying ears, the underground location of the chamber, was for the privacy of the Highest Council.
There was no such thing as police or security guards in Manushi society.
The Manushi, on the whole, knew the rules of society, and merely followed them.
It was considered sensible, by most Mytons, to just follow the natural order.
This created a harmonious life for all.
Of course there was always going to be the odd one or two, that stepped out of order, but they were swiftly dealt with.
Dena came to the entrance of the Highest Council Chambers, and hastily travelled down into the Earth. In too much of a hurry to use the stone stairs, she merely hovered over them, moving down into the depths of the Earth at a fast and furious speed.
Dena was both angry and upset, and she was gunning to get some answers.
Her heart raced.
She had every intention of challenging the Highest Council as to what had taken place that day, and why?
As she descended into the Earth, getting closer, and closer to the main chamber, she could hear the echoes of conversation.
Her pace had slowed upon hearing the voices.
With a deep sense of distrust, growing inside of her, she moved closer to the stairwell wall.
It felt cold.
She had intended to storm into the chambers, and demand some answers, but as before, an unexplainable force, like an invisible string, slowed her, pulling her back to the wall.
Quietly now, not wanting to be seen or heard, Dena descended deeper. Her heart slowed down to a heavy hard beat, that thumped in her chest, and in her ears. Unbeknown to Dena, so too did Ruby and Berty.
They secretly followed her down, keeping far enough back so as not to be detected.
CHAPTER 7
ON THE RUN
‘He who has injured thee was either stronger or weaker than thee.
If weaker,spare him;if stronger, spare thyself!’
(William Shakespear 1564-1616)
The Highest Council and its Chambers were a spectacular sight.
The chamber glistened in the chemical lights, with a Kaleidoscope mixture of
blues, golds, silvers and copper colours, as metals broke through the rock formations. The effect was a majestic design of swirling colours, glistening in splendour. The walls within the arched cavern moved and shone with running water, clinging to, and running down the face of them. Many centuries before, the Myton ancestors had channelled a deep groove around the room, allowing the water to flow into, then move stream like, around, and out of the cavern, on its way to join the Earth’s watertable. Some Mytons’ had homes with some of these rockwalls in them. They showed them off, believing them to be the height of good taste and sophistication. In the summer months they were also a blessing to the household. They helped regulate the temperature of the Earth dwelling, as the rock wall never heated up. However, in the winter they could also be a curse, very beautiful, but very cold.
The Highest Council twelve, was a touchable majesty. Not too grand that they were not accessible to the people, but definitely grand enough to be revered. Such gatherings of the elected committee, called for the adornment of traditional costume. These costumes mirrored the grandeur of the cavern. The time honoured coloured robes were predominately deep blue, edged with golds and silvers. Whenever the Highest Council met, all of the Councillors proudly wore their colours.
Assembled around the polished granite table, Poynter Proffer surveyed his fellow councillors, who were all chuntering nervously whilst waiting for the appointed clerk to bring refreshments, before this meeting would begin.
The mood in the Chambers was somber.
“Where is the lad?” Proffer huffed.
“Come now Proffer, it is the lad’s first time in your Myton! He will be finding his way around” said one of the other twelve elect.
It was an old custom that promising students across the county would be invited to serve the needs of the Highest Council, whilst also witnessing, firsthand, how the council works. It was a way of showing, and sharing with the younger generation, traditions and knowledge. These traditions kept order and harmony for the Manushi across the County of Lincolnshire.
Indeed, it was the way of the Manushi the world over.
This year, a Manushi from away had also excelled in his studies, and stood out as an up and coming citizen. Silverton Berrymaster, a sixteen year old, had shone in his knowledge and arguments surrounding politics and society. He was to be watched in his development. His interest in the operations of the Highest Councils across the globe was to be encouraged. Manushi of this calibre were rare. To be knowledgeable about such things did not interest all, and those whom it did interest had to work and study hard. The Highest Council of Lincolnshire considered itself blessed for they had two such youngsters, Goldenella Perkin and Silverton Berrymaster.
Poynter Proffer brought the meeting to order, impatient that the clerk had not yet arrived.
“We shall have to start!” he blustered with impatience and urgency.
Dena listened intently to the broken echoes of conversation rising up from the Chamber. What she heard was bitty, and did not make a great deal of sense.
Mr Proffer was, quiet obviously, not very happy.
“I’m not sure we did the right thing!” She heard him say.
This statement incited a noisy response, as all tried to speak simultaneously.
“Order!.. Order!” Proffer commanded.
The other eleven continued with their course bellowing, of which nothing of any sense could be heard above the din, by anyone.
Within seconds of starting the meeting had turned into a rabble.
Proffer banged his gavel, silencing his colleagues.
“Well its done now! We shall have to wait and see.” Shouted one amongst them.
More inaudible shouting began.
Angry voices erupted once again.
Voices rising and falling, at times breaking with emotion, as Dena heard them mention something about ‘far from’.
The voices were struggling to stay civil.
This was a meeting like no other that Dena had been invited to attend. Normally, there was debate yes, but not this.
This was almost like a rabble of confusion.
A female voice broke through the befuddled babble.
“I think we are losing control!”
Dena was shocked.
This was serious.
The Highest Council arguing? And discussing their losing control?
Control of what?
What did the woman mean?
They as a group, right there, right now, had lost control, or was she talking about what Dena had told Mr proffer and what they had obviously done about it
?
“Order! Order!”
Demanded Mr Proffer, as another councillor blasted,
“We lost control of this one a long time ago!”
The noise from the Chambers meant Dena could not hear enough to make out anything of any sense from below, but she did hear a commotion from above.
On recognising two of the voices, Dena flew up the stairwell.
Within seconds she was upon the scene of a strangely eyecatching Manushi, who had her brother and Ruby, caught by the scruff of the neck.
“Do you two not know it is rude to spy on things that are of none of your concern?” Silverton quizzed, as the children wriggled in his grasp.
His voice was as strong as his grip, and yet there was softness in his temperament.
He looked up from the children to see a fierce, yet very pretty young woman storming up to him.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Dena asked him. “Unhandle those children at once!”
“And who might you be?” Silverton questioned, amused by such a beautiful face, that boomed with such ferocity.
The squabble on the stairs had alerted the Highest Council to a disturbance other than their own. It had all gone quiet, then a voice was heard shouting from below,
“Who’s there?”
Looking back down the stairwell and back up at the stranger with the two children, Dena felt panicked.
Panicked by what she had just heard, and panicked by the lack of time she had for reasonable negotiations for the release of the children;
“Please!” Pleaded Dena, looking straight into Silverton’s crystal blue eyes surrounded by thick black lashes.
“Please let us go.”
Her plea, so sincere and desperate, entered his conscience and touched something within him.
Silverton let the children go instantly and all three flew off.
Being a bright young man, Silverton had figured out, earlier on the previous day, that there was something dreadfully wrong going on. Silverton had been asked to leave the Chambers so as the Highest Council could convene.
This was a most unusual move.
To spark his curiosity and suspicions further, the Council member he had travelled to Myton with, had retired to his rooms immediately after the Extraordinary Meeting.