by A. J. Dobbs
‘Good morning, Elias, beautiful day, isn’t it? How are things going in there?’
‘Yes, it is and not that well actually, I was just on my way to see you…’
‘I suspected as much.’
‘How did you know?’
‘Well, Elias, Theran nature being what it is and the fact that you have six strong individuals who have never worked together, it doesn’t take the magic of the regulus to deduce that we have a problem.’
‘Well I’m glad one of us is thinking ahead. Do you have a solution?’
‘Of course I do, but I fear no one will like it. Like medicine, Elias, it might not taste good, but it’s what’s needed to cure the problem. Let’s go and sort them out, shall we?’
When I returned to the chamber with the Professor, the mood was still, anticipation was great and the whole group turned to face us as we entered the great hall.
‘Welcome, Professor… we hope you can help… it would seem that our Keepers need to get to know each other a little better.’
‘From what Elias has told me, Albertus that could be the understatement of the year.’ He smiled and the group relaxed a little; but the air was thick with mistrust.
Albertus continued. ‘Professor, without a Seventh Seal Keeper we cannot control the Theran battle triangle; it has no leader, they have no leader. I don’t like to ask this, but—’
The Professor cut in. ‘But can I do it? It would be an honour to lead such accomplished individuals for such a—’
James cut in. ‘Excellent, Professor, can we get down to the desert now?’
‘James, I think not… first, we must train…’
The noise erupted once again, but it was the Professor this time that got their attention back. He opened a small jar he had in his pocket and threw a small handful of snap jack onto the table. The sparks and crackles amplified by the great space soon got everyone’s attention back.
Albertus smiled to himself. The Professor held a firm tone.
‘Look at me, all of you,’ he barked. ‘You will need a lot more than youth and enthusiasm to take on the Badaran… so you can either do what I say or leave now.’
He looked at each of the Keepers in turn and took silence as affirmation. ‘Good, then I’ve made myself clear. We will pack today and leave on horseback in the morning. It is a three-day ride to our destiny and we will use that time wisely…’
Sarah added the final sting. ‘By the way I’m coming too… and don’t you dare try and stop me.’
No one argued.
*
In a cave up in the Northern Ice Fields a fire burned, keeping its occupant, Everett, warm as well as roasting a mountain hare for his dinner. As he waited for his meal to cook, he wrote on the walls using a paste made from the dust of the cave floor, which read…
~
Finding my way I do the best that I can,
but into darkness I head,
I pray for life’s lessons to be kind,
I am a madrigal man by circumstances I’m defined.
~
Different strings play in all of our hearts,
we are all moving pictures on life’s different paths,
no limelight for me, I am no new-world man,
but here is my afterimage, before you it stands.
~
In life’s grand designs my mission now clear,
to protect all those that I hold dear,
my life’s scars define, all the layers of me,
entwined and refined in the man that you see.
~
On dreamlines my thoughts,
to you I’ll send so you’ll see,
between sun and moon,
is where I will be.
~
In limbo I wait, but out of the cradle I’ll climb,
with hope ever shining in the garden you’ll find
all of the answers to questions in life
that have left you thus blind…’
~
As he wrote and remembered his life, he could feel the tears welling up inside; as he finished the final verse he fell to his knees in triumph and pain. He had gained and lost much, but in his tears he found courage to go on, to do now what had to be done.
5 – The Eastern Desert
12th September 2012, Thera
The morning sky was pigeon grey when the six Keepers, Sarah Stone and the Professor packed and made ready to go. We assembled in the courtyard of Tolemak facing Albertus.
‘Well, friends, it is time… I have no speech, no rallying call. You all know what you must do and you all know you must trust and rely on each other if you are to succeed in your endeavour. Be safe, and bring our new Keeper home.’
He turned and was walking away just as the sound of a barking dog was heard coming from behind all of us. A black and white Dalmatian was rapidly making its way toward us being chased by its owner, the carpenter George Tenon. He was shouting, but the dog was not listening.
‘Geddy, Geddy, come back you bleedin’ hound…’
He arrived a minute after the dog, who was now sitting at the feet of Paris and Jade, sitting proudly looking at George as if to say, ‘I no longer answer to you.’ George was gasping for air, having clearly chased Geddy for some while.
‘I’m sorry, he’s a lively little fellow, has been since he was born, but I don’t know what’s got into him today; he’s just gone mad.’
‘Don’t worry, George; it looks like the dog has found some new friends,’ I said, smiling and wondering…
‘Well if you’ll just let me at him, I’ll get his lead on him and be out of your way. I know you have bigger things to deal with than my mad dog.’
‘Don’t be so hasty, Mr Tenon. Am I right in saying Michael Stone’s dog, Rosie, is Geddy’s mother?’
‘Yes, that’s right, Miss McQuiston.’
Jade turned to me. ‘Elias, little Geddy here… could be…’
I stopped her mid-sentence. ‘Yes I know, Jade, a Keeper’s dog.’
I turned once again to George. ‘Will you let us have the dog? I mean, if he’s as mad as you say, you’d be better off without him.’
‘That is true, I’ll be glad to place him in your charge; his mother was a faithful friend to the Keepers, he may prove to be the same, but don’t come bringing him back if he doesn’t work out.’
‘Don’t worry, George, we’ll keep him… I think our Geddy could prove quite useful.’
The dog was looking up at us now, tail wagging and smiling – yes, smiling, and it was then that I noticed a triangular spot on his forehead and I realised that little Geddy was indeed destined for great things.
Our party of eight left on horseback and was now accompanied by a two-year-old Dalmatian. We made our way out onto Halfpenny Road. The rumours around Tolemak had been rife about the abduction of Daniel and from Halfpenny Road to Threadneedle Street people came out to see us leave. Some shook their heads, as if in goodbye for what they thought was a fruitless endeavour; the young cheered on with enthusiasm at the thought of the underdog being triumphant against overwhelming odds.
New legends stepped forth from Tolemak on this day, but not one of us had stories of legend on our minds. We all made our way in silence, but inside our own voices were active, going through the next few days, worrying about how we would fare as a team and in a fight where we were so outnumbered.
The Professor, who was in a jovial mood that jarred with how we felt, led the way and he turned in his saddle, smiling at me.
‘Come on, Elias, let’s get cheered up here, shall we? There’s no point in being miserable when being happy is always an alternative. Sing us a song.’
Now I am no singer, but it is true that Therans love to sing and we have many songs from our history of adventures and tales of derring-do, so I thought long and hard and then smiled back.
‘Very well, Professor, but I warn you, I may have the song and know its words, but I can’t guarantee that I can match them with the right notes.’
>
With that he burst out laughing. ‘Don’t worry, my old friend, look around you, they’ll all join in.’
I suddenly became aware of all the people, as if they were now all looking at me, but I closed my eyes and started to sing.
Within a few bars of the song, my tone-deaf voice was hidden within a Tolemak choir; everyone lining the street was joining in this old battle song. Improvised musical accompaniment came by stomping feet on stone cobbles providing background percussion, rhythm and timing as the song moved slowly with us from Halfpenny Road to Threadneedle Street. I had never heard anything quite so moving and I could feel tears welling up as my pride at being Theran was drawn to the surface by my people.
~
‘Oh Southern Land of Thera, hear my cry,
my battle voice on winds will fly,
fear not, dear friends, for we’ll win this fight,
to return to you, one starry night.
~
We’ll keep the balance and hold our line,
defending life for all of time,
from tiny farm to Tolemak,
we’ll fight for you and will not lack.
~
We go today, but leave our hearts,
in this our homeland that we never part,
to distant lands, a course we set,
we will protect you, we will not forget.
~
We’ll keep the balance and hold our line,
defending life for all of time,
from tiny farm to Tolemak,
we’ll fight for you and will not lack.
~
Blood may spill, from our enemies,
to return the balance, so all can be,
free to live, to nature’s call,
give thought to us lest we could fall.
~
We’ll keep the balance and hold our line,
defending life for all of time,
from tiny farm to Tolemak,
we’ll fight for you and will not lack.
~
Oh Southern Land of Thera, hear my cry,
my battle voice on winds will fly,
fear not, dear friends, for we’ll win this fight,
to return to you, as dark turns to light.’
~
By the time we left the castle we could still hear the crowds singing behind us. The Professor had been clever, very clever. We came into the castle as individuals and left together as one. Our new leader had given us our first lesson.
The Professor led us down past the lake, its calm surface, like a large mirror, picking up the inverted image of the surrounding vista and we made steady progress toward our stop-off point for the first night in the little village of Willowdale, directly east of Tolemak. As we moved away from the castle and the music faded, we settled into the rhythm and routine of riding. We relaxed a little and we moved from a linear formation of one behind the other into a more conversation-supporting, side-by-side arrangement. For the next few hours, we were a jovial group, laughing and chatting. Little did we know what the Professor had in store for us…
*
We arrived in Willowdale around mid-afternoon. It was a pleasant enough evening although the autumn chill was moving in. Willowdale was built around the River Ogwr, and it was distinguished by the ruins of an old castle, which still had a great deal of majesty against the skyline. Whenever I saw the castle, I was always moved to wonder about what had gone on there, for the early Keepers built the castle before Tolemak was firmly established.
The castle marked the entrance to the town, but first we had to cross the river. There was no bridge, only some stepping stones and luckily the river was running low. The Professor dismounted first.
‘Thomas, Lucius,’ he shouted. ‘Lead the horses across, would you? The rest of you, make your way across the stones.’
‘Oh, come on, Professor, why do we have to get wet feet?’ they pleaded.
‘Don’t worry… everyone will get their chance for wet feet… you’re lucky you’re first.’
Thomas and Lucius looked bemused.
‘What’s he on about now?’ said Thomas.
‘I’ve no idea… come on, let’s get the horses across.’
He turned to the rest of the group. ‘Okay, let’s be having you, down you all get.’
They tied the horses together in readiness to lead them single file across the river. They had removed their boots and socks, rolled up their min-ed trousers and were now in a little game of who goes first; the water was cold in September and neither was anxious to get in.
‘Get a move on, will you?’ shouted the Professor.
‘Go on, Thomas, you go first. I’ll buy you a pint in the pub later.’
‘It will take more than a pint of Willowdale ale to get me in there… but if you are prepared to extend your offer…’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well the next time the Professor asks us or me to do something, you take my place…’
‘Not much of a deal, Thomas…’
With that Lucius grabbed his arm and they both jumped into the icy water with screams from them and laughter from the shore.
‘If you think that is cold, you wait until tomorrow,’ shouted the Professor.
In all the din his words were lost and we all made our way across the stepping stones and into the village. Geddy followed nimbly, hopping from stone to stone behind us, checking to his left and right as he made his way across like a rearguard soldier making sure no one was following us.
The village was slightly elevated from the river level, protecting it in flood, and we made our way up past the castle on a short winding road. A series of farmhouses dotted the road in a random hit and miss pattern, and sheep and cattle could be seen in the infilling fields. In the heart of the village was a hotel and public house called the Pelican and it was here we were heading for the evening.
‘Thomas, Lucius… take the horses around the back and put them in the stables,’ said the Professor.
The Pelican was well known and loved in Thera because it brewed the famous Willowdale Pale Ale, a light golden beer that refreshed and sparkled, lifting the spirits of many a weary farmer after a long day in the fields. Today, however, we had not come to sample the wonders of the local brew; we had other matters to discuss. The door to the hotel opened and out stepped Stephen Hobs.
‘Good afternoon, Stephen, it’s been a long time. How are you settling back into life on Thera?’
‘Well enough, Professor… it’s nice to be back to a simple life. I had forgotten the pleasures one can find within; I had lost that sense of myself in my search for peace in things outside of me.’
‘Ahh, my dear friend, you are indeed a Theran by heart and nature and you are a welcome sight this day.’
‘I spoke with Albertus and he has explained everything… come in please…’
Stephen looked down at Geddy. ‘And who’s this, Elias… a new Keeper’s dog?’
As he spoke he knelt down and Geddy, ears pinned backed and slightly cowering, made his way over to Stephen smiling and wagging his tail.
‘He is a fine dog, Elias… is he…?’
‘Yes… the son of Rosie, Michael’s dog.’
‘Well, well, how the balance weaves a magic of its own…’
He looked up at us and fixed his gaze towards the back of the group.
‘You must be Sarah. I’m very sorry you find yourself here like this, but I welcome you as family. Michael was a dear friend, please treat this as home.’
‘Well then, my friends, let’s get you some food, good ale and a sound sleep. Come on in… you too, Geddy… come on, boy.’
The Pelican was a little piece of magic itself; one of the oldest buildings on Thera. Every stone carried memories of laughter, crying, shouting, pain and happiness, centuries of it, and each one of those memories gave the place its warmth and character. I had not been there for many years and found myself suddenly smiling at the sights and smells. Old wooden tabl
es laid out randomly on dusty flagstone floors were given their only sense of order by the long straight bar; like a fire in a room, it gave the place its focal point.
We sat down around a long table and with the arrival of Thomas and Lucius from the stables the Professor began his explanation of our task ahead.
‘Well, friends, I am about to take you on a dangerous road, a road so dangerous that it may not see us all coming back, and I don’t mean the one that leads to Odling Smee.’ We were silent and chilled by the Professor’s words.
He went on. ‘Before you meet Smee you need to learn how to harness the power of working together and understand the perils… in the end it might just save you.’
Paris nudged me. ‘He’s off again...’
‘Sshhhh,’ I said.
The Professor continued. ‘Whatever direction the balance has taken you in life, its ups and its downs, you should now take heart; all of these things, they have made you stronger. You will now need to call upon all of that strength, for in Odling we have our enemy. To have an enemy is a good thing; it means we are standing up for something, for what is right and just. We are standing up for balance.’
There was complete silence and focus on the Professor, all of us listening intently to his every word, but James took the space given by his last pause, and said meekly, ‘Where are we going, Professor?’
‘Going? We are going to Everest, my boy, to the tallest mountain on Earth and Arthe to a challenge, to train. We are going to traverse the Khumba Icefall where we are to work together as a team, to rely not just on your own ability but that of your friends here. If you don’t work together then… well…’
‘We get the picture,’ said James. The others, including me, sat in open mouthed silence; this was not what we had expected.
*
In the Eastern Desert Smee and the Badaran were continuing with their preparations and it was a hive of activity around the camp. In one of the tents Daniel was tied to the centre supporting pole; he sat in a state of complete confusion. He stared out into open space, his mind, injured by the trauma of what had happened to him, had shut down for his own protection. The enormity of the information he had received was not capable of being processed in a logical and linear way. His mind was jumbled, signals pulsing in all directions without focus or destination, and he was lost.