Chapter Four
Put on Guard
Neil and Jack rode their bicycles to Lefty’s Manor, with Nibbler trotting beside them. They pedaled through the darkness on the rural roads of Hollow Oak, their beloved town.
The feel of the cool air against their faces was refreshing, and it helped to keep them alert at this late hour. Flashlights were mounted to the handlebars of their bicycles, and they cast wobbling beams of light upon the paved shoulder of the roads, as well as the trees and brush of the forest.
They met no cars on their journey, for it was a small town, and almost everyone was asleep at this hour. The night was nearly silent, but for the chirping of crickets, the hooting of owls, and the rustling of the leaves that swayed in the wind.
It did not take them very long to reach Lefty’s Manor, and once they were near, they approached with caution. The boys stashed their bicycles in some bushes, and began sneaking closer to the manor on foot. They stayed in the woods that surrounded the property, hoping that the cover of the forest would let them proceed undetected.
For his part, Nibbler went into Labradoodle stealth mode. He hunkered low to the ground, with his shoulder blades swaying, his ears perked up, and his nose sniffing with the utmost alacrity.
But as they crept into the forest, it soon became clear to the boys and dog that they were not alone. From deeper within the woods, there came a noise that they instantly recognized: Rustle-rustle-rush-crush.
It was the sound of heavy brush and vegetation being pushed aside. Pushed aside, by something big.
Neil and Jack froze in place. Their heads were turned toward the source of the noise, and their eyes had grown wide. Nibbler tentatively wagged his tail and quirked his ears.
“Is that…?” Neil asked, his voice filled with hope.
“Could it be…?” Jack wondered, as he peered into the darkened forest.
Rustle-rustle-rush-crush, came the noise once more. It was now louder. Closer. They saw the treetops sway and ripple, as something with incredible force moved everything that stood before it. Rustle-rustle-rush-crush. RUSTLE-RUSTLE-RUSH-CRUSH.
With an enormous surge of motion, the final screen of brush was parted, and the creature that had been creating the noise was suddenly visible. He had a colossal silhouette, towering like a giant, and his green eyes glowed in an otherworldly fashion. His broad shoulders rose and fell as he heaved with deep breath, which washed over the boys and Nibbler with the scent of moss.
“Titus!” Neil gasped.
“Greetings, little ones,” came the rumbling voice of the monster before them, a being that was unique in every way.
He was, as Neil and Jack had recently discovered, the swamp beast of Hollow Oak. Titus stood at a height of nine feet, and he was a fantastic sight to behold. Vines, moss, and foliage covered the mottled green skin of his body, lending him an undoubtedly botanical quality. His shoulders were broad, his legs thick, and his arms were the size of tree trunks, rippling with muscle. He had a neck that was like a tree stump, and vines swung about his head, as if dreadlocks of strange, green hair. Defined within his broad face were both strength and wisdom, accumulated during an untold number of years.
A peregrine falcon sat atop one shoulder of Titus, perched and ruffling his blue-gray wings. Neil and Jack instantly recognized the bird as Arturo, Titus’ swift-winged agent of reconnaissance.
Titus dropped to one knee, so that he could more easily see Neil and Jack. They ran to him with excitement, for this was one monster that was not to be feared… this was their friend. A strange and magnificent friend, who they had met just a couple of weeks earlier. Titus had recruited them, to help him put a stop to the pollution of the water source for the creatures that were under his protection, in the town of Hollow Oak.
“What are you doing here?” asked Jack. “We were hoping to see you again soon, but this is a pleasant surprise!”
“It is good that we should meet again,” Titus rumbled, as he embraced them in a gigantic hug, with Nibbler squeezed in the middle. “Though it has not been long since we last saw one another, I have missed you. I am so grateful for the efforts you put forth for me, and for the creatures of the woodlands and the swamps. Already, the quality of our water has improved, since you helped us put a stop to the pollution.”
“That’s great news!” Neil exclaimed. “Is there something else you need help with? Just say the word, and we’ll rally to the cause!”
“No, little one. But thank you for the offer,” Titus chuckled. “I have sought you out in order to warn you of the one who poisoned our river. He is up to something… I’m sure of it.”
“Jasper?” asked Jack. His teeth clenched, as he recalled the heinous acts of the immoral school janitor. “Yeah, he was the one who was dumping the toxic goop into the river, alright. But he set up my father, to take the fall for his dastardly deeds. He’s a first-rate scoundrel, to say the least! What kind of trouble is he brewing this time?”
“That, I’m afraid, I don’t know the answer to,” Titus said. “But I’ve been keeping a close eye on him, ever since you exposed his evildoings. He lives at an isolated farm, and the property’s nearness to the woods allows me to study his activities... to some extent, at least. I dare not get too close, for fear of discovery.”
Neil and Jack nodded in understanding, for they knew that Titus chose to remain hidden from humans, in all but the most dire of scenarios.
“I cannot say what the one you call ‘Jasper’ is doing, but I have no doubt that he’s up to no good. It seems that he spends a large amount of time working on some project, laboring late into the night… and I can sense that he has learned nothing from his past errors, I’m afraid.”
“Yep, he’s a real galoot,” Neil confirmed. “It doesn’t surprise me one bit, that he wouldn’t learn.”
“I must go now for now… my duties call to me, and there is much to do. But I wanted to seek you out and warn you, little ones. Be on guard – and should you need my help, I will answer the call, if it is within my power to do so. You are friends of the forest, and I will always be indebted to you.”
Titus rose to his full, staggering height. He gently lay one hand upon the top of Neil’s head in farewell, and then did the same for Jack and Nibbler. Arturo launched from the swamp beast’s shoulder and flew off, with powerful motions of his wings. Titus turned, pushed two small trees aside, and disappeared into the brush. His departure was marked by the sound of his massive body passing through the vegetation… Rustle-rustle-rush-crush.
Neil, Jack, and Nibbler watched in silent awe as the silhouette of the swamp beast blended into the dark shapes of the forest. It was impossible to not be filled with wonder at the encounter. Though it was disturbing to hear the report that Jasper was up to no good, this news was overshadowed by the feeling of exhilaration that swelled in the hearts of the boys, and gratitude for once more having a brief experience with Titus.
Only after the sounds of Titus’ passage had dwindled away to nothing, did Neil and Jack return their attention to Lefty’s Manor, which they could see from afar. Resuming their stealthy approach, with Nibbler leading the way, they once more crept closer, seeking a superior place of observation.
The Green Beans, Volume 2: The Strange Genius of Lefty O'Houlihan Page 4