Chapter Three: Well Met
Roxton and Marguerite stood with their mouths gaping open. The shock of seeing their long, lost friend alive temporarily robbed them of speech.
The children had no such trouble. With a shout of joy, Alice and Victoria ran over and hugged the old man around his neck.
Summer stood back. She didn't know this man and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. He was so very old!
After hugging both girls and commenting on Alice's change in appearance - "I thought for a moment there that you were your dear brother Edward!" --, Summerlee looked over at the youngest girl, who was standing at a distance. She had one eyebrow raised in consternation and a slight scowl on her face. How many times had he seen that same look on her father's face? He held out his hand and beckoned her over.
She approached him hesitatingly, but allowed him to take her hand.
"So, this is my little namesake! How very kind of you to remember me," he said, looking up at Marguerite and Roxton.
He turned back to the little girl.
"You know that my name is Summerlee, too. We have the same name."
Summer frowned. "I thought your name was R'tor," she said suspiciously.
He laughed. "It is. And it's also Arthur.'
Summer had been puzzling something out.
"How can your name be Summer Leigh? You're a boy," she said, very sure of herself.
"I can see that you are a very good thinker," he chuckled.
Summer smiled at him. "Yes, I am," she agreed. She liked him.
Marguerite found her voice.
"Arthur, how on earth did you get here? And why didn't you let us know that you were alive?"
"Now, now, Marguerite, there will be plenty of time to hear my story. But first, we need to discuss the reason I brought you here."
"You brought us here?" Roxton exclaimed. He shook his head. "I have to admit, Summerlee, that I am completely overwhelmed."
Summerlee chuckled, again. "As I was, John, when I found out that you and Marguerite had four children! I never would have predicted such a thing. Why, the last time I saw you two together, you were quarreling and arguing."
"They still do that," Summer assured him.
Summerlee cocked his head to one side. "Well, they must have stopped a few times." His eyes slid over to look at the children.
"Really, Arthur," murmured Marguerite.
As her excitement died down, Victoria realized that her parents were talking to R'tor as if they were well acquainted. She turned a puzzled frown towards her parents. "Mom, Dad, how do you know R'tor?"
Marguerite put her hand on Tori's shoulder. "Arthur Summerlee is an old friend of ours, Tori. A long time ago, before any of you were born, he lived with us all in Aunt Veronica's treehouse."
"Really?" breathed Alice. Her eyes were round with excitement. The Sw'atee king used to live in her treehouse! Just wait until Edward heard that, she thought.
Roxton broke in. His tone was testy as he asked, "Why don't you tell us what's going on here, Arthur. It seems our children are involved in something potentially dangerous."
Summerlee waved him off. "All in good time, John. All in good time. We'll just wait for the others, shall we? No use in telling everything twice."
Suddenly concerned, he turned to Victoria and asked, "You did get word to Edward, didn't you, my dear?"
"Of course," Victoria nodded.
"Ah, I knew you would figure it out. You children are very clever, indeed." He rubbed his hands together cheerfully. "Well, that's all right then. They'll all be here soon."
Roxton and Marguerite were giving a very good imitation of a volcano about to erupt.
Summerlee went on, "This is truly a momentous occasion." He beamed at the fuming couple. "All of us together again. I can hardly wait to see the others."
"Enough!" Marguerite exploded. "You'd better tell us what's going on right this minute, Arthur, or we're taking the children and leaving."
Summerlee actually smiled at her.
"I see that time hasn't tamed that hot temper of yours, Marguerite. It's good to know that some things never change."
"Come, girls," Marguerite growled. "We're leaving."
Roxton picked up Summer and headed towards the opening. Marguerite pulled the older two girls along after him.
"Wait! Wait!" Summerlee exclaimed. "You mustn't leave. I promise to tell you everything as soon as the others arrive."
Roxton turned back.
"What others, Arthur? Who are you waiting for?"
Summerlee looked at him in surprise.
"Well, I thought you knew. We're waiting for Ned and Veronica and Challenger."
At their incredulous looks, he hastened to reassure them.
"Oh, and the children, too, of course. Everything depends on them, after all."
Marguerite and Roxton looked at each other. Roxton slowly lowered Summer to the ground.
He sighed.
"I guess we'd better stay and hear this," he said to his wife.
"Well, it had better be good," she said, glaring at their old friend.
"I assure you, my dear, that it will more than meet your expectations."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
The old man leaned over and whispered to three of his Sw'atee and they disappeared, only to return seconds later carrying the boxes and bags that they had taken from the balloon.
"These are our things! How did you ---?" Marguerite exclaimed.
"Please," he interrupted her. "Please sit down, all of you. We might as well make ourselves comfortable, eh."
With some misgivings, Roxton and Marguerite motioned for the girls to sit on the cushions the Sw'atee had arranged on the floor. They then sat down themselves.
"Splendid!" the old man applauded. "Now, you must be hungry. Let's have a meal while we talk."
He cocked his head over and looked at the three young girls sitting so quietly on the soft pillows.
"A little bird told me that today is someone's special day. Now, which one of you lovely ladies was that bird talking about?"
"I know! The bird was talking about Tori. It's Tori' birthday today," Summer told him excitedly. "She's ten!"
"Ahh," said Summerlee with a twinkle in his eye. "The Lady Victoria."
Tori blushed.
"Ten years old! A momentous occasion, indeed," he said. He looked around happily. "My word, it's been a long time since I attended a birthday party."
Marguerite could contain herself no longer.
"Really, Summerlee, this is no time for a party. We need to know what danger we're in and we need to know now!"
Summerlee focused his pale, myopic eyes on his old friends. There was no sign of the garrulous, doddering old man in them now. His voice was as cold as the top of the mountain they were sitting under and as strong as stones that held it up. He spoke to them in a voice they had never heard him use before.
"We will wait for the others, Marguerite. Rest assured, there is no danger where we are."
Marguerite and Roxton exchanged a meaningful glance and subsided. There was something very different and strangely awe-inspiring about Arthur. Their old teddy bear had developed teeth!
Into the silence the sound of a small throat clearing was heard.
"There's probably some cake in the picnic basket," Victoria told him shyly. She looked over at her mother to see if she had guessed right.
Marguerite couldn't help smiling at her daughter. It was her birthday, after all. And, what a birthday it was turning out to be!
"Tori, I think that we'd better eat the sandwiches and fruit first. We'll save the cake until everyone is here."
The girls looked disappointed, but Roxton looked relieved. As much as he loved his wife, he still had a hard time appreciating all of her cooking. He usually made the birthday cakes for the family, but this time Marguerite had insisted on baking it herself. He mentally crossed his fingers that no one would get sick.
Marguerite stood up and handed out lunch. Hesitantly, she carried a sandwich and a banana over to Summerlee. Looking into his dear, familiar face, a wave of nostalgia swept over her. She knelt down and threw her arms around his neck.
"It's so good to see you, Arthur," she murmured into his ear. "I missed you."
"There, there, my dear," he said awkwardly, as he patted her back. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say."
As Marguerite tearfully stood up, Roxton walked over and stuck out his hand.
"Indeed, Arthur, you were sorely missed," he said sincerely, smiling and shaking hands with this old friend.
With the air cleared and good feelings restored, they settled down and enjoyed the picnic lunch.
***
Having decided to find the Sw'atee and ask for their help, Ned and Veronica made short work of packing supplies into their backpacks. They tried to include something for any contingency.
Edward begged and pleaded with his parents to let him go down to the ground for something he needed to pack. Challenger volunteered to go with him, but Ned gave Edward permission to go by himself. The scientist's shrugged and busied himself repacking his backpack to be sure his scientific gadgets were all safely stowed. Tilly fed Rosie a bottle and handed out sandwiches to everyone.
When everything was packed to their satisfaction, the four adults and three children hurried over to the Roxton treehouse. Tilly packed a bag for Rosie and helped Will pack his.
Then, moving as fast as they could, the explorers headed for the meadow. They were going to look there first and see if they could get some information from R'tor through his "magic water."
Edward bounced with excitement as they strode onto the grassy field.
"I'll show you just where we go to talk to R'tor," he promised.
"Race you, Edward!" Will shouted, running past the older boy.
"Come back here, you two," Veronica yelled after the boys, who were halfway across the field.
"Edward!" Ned called to his son. His voice was one he didn't have to use very often, but Edward knew that he'd better obey.
"Coming, Dad," he called as he changed direction and loped back to his parents. Grumbling, Will came with him.
Ned, who was carrying the baby in the specially designed backpack Roxton had made for her, smiled as Rosie gurgled and reached over his shoulder towards her brother.
As Will came up to the adults, Rosie waved her arms and blew wet bubbles.
"Okay, okay, Rosie," Will said grudgingly. He looked up at his adopted uncle. "Uncle Ned, Rosie thinks we should hurry. She says that something bad is coming."
"Sure, Will," Ned said, condescendingly, winking at Veronica. "Rosie's quite a talker."
"I would listen to him, Dad," Edward said earnestly. "Will can understand what Rosie is saying."
While this exchange was going on, Rosie, leaning back as far as she could, was looking up at the sky. She pointed up and chattered loudly.
Challenger held on to his hat as he, too, looked upwards.
"Ah, Ned," he said slowly. "I think we would all be wise to listen to Rosie. I don't know what that is up there, but it seems to be coming right towards us."
At his words, they all looked up into a sky that was fast darkening with gray clouds piling up, blocking out the sun. The roiling mass was shot through with the electric gold of lighting that, to Challenger's wild imagination, turned into the glowing eyes of a beast. As a tremendous rumble of thunder shook the ground under them, they all stared running across the meadow to find cover.
They squeezed between the jagged rocks that had fallen from the cliff face, desperately seeking shelter, but there was nowhere to hide. Just as Veronica was going to suggest that they make a run for the protection of the jungle, a female figure stepped out from behind a rock and motioned for them to follow her.
"K'dell!" exclaimed Edward. "Mom, Dad, it's K'dell!"
The pale, thin woman murmured softly to them.
"She wants us to go with her," Will said. He listened intently as she whistled in her throat. He whispered back to her. "She says that she will show us the way to R'tor," he translated for them excitedly. He listened again. "Oh, my," he gasped, turning to the others. "She says she'll take us to my Mom and Dad!"
Challenger looked up at the dark, ominous sky, hovering menacingly over them, its beast-like eyes glowing even brighter. "Tell her to lead the way, my boy," he croaked. "Tell her to lead the way."
As Will spoke to the Sw'atee, she waved her hand behind her and a cave opening shimmered into view against the cliff face.
Without another word, they quickly scrambled after her as a snaking flash of pure energy leapt down from the sky and exploded the field behind them.
***
The cavern walls echoed with unaccustomed sound.
"I did so see A'mit."
"That was Me'hyar"
"Was not!"
"Was so!"
"Waaa, mum-mum-mum, waaa!"
"There, there, little Rose. We will feed you soon."
"Please, boys. Stay with us!"
"My word, these crystal walls are fascinating. Look up there, Tilly."
Hearing the familiar voices, John and Marguerite jumped up and hurried out the chamber opening. They wanted to prepare the others for what (or who) they were about to see.
At the sight of their two friends popping out of opening ahead of them, Ned stopped in surprise.
"Marguerite, John!" he exclaimed in voice in which curiosity and relief were equally mixed. "We were told you were in the caves. How on earth did you get here?"
Veronica overcame her surprise quickly. Her anxiety about her daughter caused her voice to come out sharply.
"Is Alice with you? Is she all right?"
Before they could answer, the girls burst through the door and Alice ran, yelling with joy, to her parents, and poor tired, hungry Rosie saw her mother and reached out to her, crying even louder.
The dim, stony passageway was the scene of total pandemonium. Everyone was talking at once, asking questions, answering questions, crying, hugging, kissing, exclaiming, boasting, and arguing.
Finally, the girls took the boys back into the large chamber so that they could meet R'tor, and their parents and grandparents were able to talk in the sudden quiet.
Roxton put his hand on Challenger's shoulder. He wanted to lessen the shock to his old friend, if he could. Summerlee and Challenger had started off as bitter rivals, but had become great friends.
"George, old boy," he began. He gathered Ned and Veronica in with his look. "I want to prepare you for a surprise. A very happy surprise, I might add." He looked at his friends carefully to see their reaction. They looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Well, you have heard about R'tor, I presume? Well, of course you have. I'm sure Edward told you all about him."
"He's the king of the Sw'atee, right?" Veronica said.
"Right, right," Roxton said. "But, well, I have some other news about him, too."
Roxton was having a hard time getting to the point.
"Oh, stop dithering, John," broke in Marguerite, annoyed. She faced her friends. "He's Arthur."
At her friends' blank looks, she sighed. "Arthur Summerlee," she said slowly. She waited for their reaction.
"Nonsense!" Challenger huffed. "Arthur died over ten years ago."
With a small exclamation, Ned and Veronica, who had learned to believe the impossible, rushed through the entrance to R'tor's chamber.
Challenger looked after them, then turned back to the others.
"Are you trying to tell me that R'tor is some sort of apparition? The ghost of Summerlee?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, yes," Roxton said excitedly. At a look from Marguerite, he corrected himself. "Well, no. No, George. He isn't the ghost of Summerlee. He really is Summerlee."
"Nonsense," Challenger said again, though without conviction in his voice.
Tilly took his arm.
"Come, George. Let us go see your old friend," she said gently.
Challenger, still muttering, allowed her to lead him through the entrance.
Marguerite sighed and hoisted the now sleeping Rosie higher on her hip. At the slight disturbance, the baby stuck her two middle fingers in her mouth and sucked noisily.
"Would you like me to carry her?" John offered. His voice was full of tenderness.
"That's all right." Marguerite smiled down at her youngest daughter and kissed her soft curls, breathing in her sweet baby smell. "I want to hold her for a while."
Roxton put his hand on Marguerite's other shoulder and leaned in to kiss the baby, too. He looked into his wife's eyes.
"Any regrets?" he asked.
"Not one," she said softly.
Marguerite's last pregnancy was a big surprise to them and not an altogether welcomed one. They hadn't planned on having any more children after Summer was born. Tilly had warned them that, at her age, she might have a hard time of it. And she had. But, Margaret Rose was worth it. She brought so much happiness to everyone. Even Summer, who was finally a big sister herself, showed no jealousy---well, not much, anyway.
John and Marguerite shared a contented smile, and followed after the others.
***
Inside the chamber, Ned, Veronica, Challenger, Tilly, and Edward were sitting around Summerlee, bombarding the old man with question after question, all of which he evaded, firmly stating that he would wait and answer all of their questions at the same time.
As Marguerite and Roxton walked back into R'tor's chamber, they were immediately drawn into an argument among the children.
Summer, her bottom lip stuck out, her cheeks smeared with icing and cake crumbs, was standing with her arms folded across her chest, a terrible scowl on her face.
Will and Victoria were standing facing her, a familiar look of outrage and exasperation on their faces.
Alice was standing to one side. She knew all the signs of a Roxton row, and she was deciding in which direction to run. She sighed with relief when Aunt Marguerite and Uncle John came in. Quickly, she walked away and sat down close beside her mother.
Alice had recently asked her mother why the Roxton family argued and yelled so much. They were so different from her family, who rarely raised their voices. "Don't they love each other?" she had asked. Her mother had stared at Alice as if her question was one she found hard to explain.
"Indeed they do, Sweetheart," she'd answered. "I've never seen a family who care for each other so much." She had paused, then said, "I believe that the Roxtons are very --- passionate people. Smart, brave and independent people, who feel strongly about things and are not shy about expressing those feelings." She had looked down at Alice, smiled and pulled her close. "The way they behave might be scary sometimes, but there are no better people to have around in times of trouble or times of happiness. They'll always be there when you need them." She'd laughed again. "Of course, you'll have to listen to them lecture you and put up with their "I told you so's."
Alice had laughed, too. "That's what Tori is always saying."
Now, sitting is a cave, deep under a mountain, Alice remembered what her mother had said. She sighed. She loved her friends, but she was glad that Edward was her brother and that she had her kind of parents.
Meanwhile, her friends and their parents were "discussing" a problem.
"Mommy said we could eat it when the others got here," Summer reminded them. "Well, they're here!"
"Yeah," protested Will, "but she didn't mean that you could eat it all yourself!"
"You knew what Mom meant, Summer. You're just acting like you didn't. Really, Summer, you're such a baby sometimes," Tori said haughtily, tossing her head.
"I am not a baby! I'm a big girl! Summer was enraged. Her sister knew just what buttons to push to get Summer's fiery temper to flare up.
Roxton held up his hand to Marguerite to stop her from stepping in. While Summer could beguile him with her cleverness and affection, she had never been able to manipulate him, as she did her mother, with her bad temper. He knew only too well that Summer's temper tantrum could escalate into an eruption that would ignite everyone else's temper. Summer may take after him in looks, but her temperament she got straight from her mother.
He stooped down by Summer and looked into her burning eyes. "That's enough, young lady," he said sternly. "That was very naughty of you to eat your sister's birthday cake."
The little girl glared back into her father's eyes. What she saw there was enough to give her stomach its first small squirm of guilt.
At some level, Summer knew that she had done something very wrong, but the temptation of the birthday cake sitting in the basket had been too much for her. While the others were talking to R'tor, she had pulled Alice over to sit beside the picnic basket. At first, she had only eaten a small pinch of the cake. It had tasted so good though, that the pinch soon became a chunk. Alice firmly shook her head when Summer had offered her a sticky, gooey handful. Although Alice was tempted, after the stowaway incident she didn't want to get involved in any more of her friend's escapades.
Summer didn't like her first feeling of guilt and she really didn't like the disappointed look in her father's eyes.
"I didn't eat it all," she protested, the anger leaking out of her. Then she hung her head and whispered under her breath, "And I am not a baby."
"Well, you know," Roxton said, gently, "big girls apologize when they do something wrong."
Summer looked up at him sharply. Then a grin spread across her face. She whirled around and grabbed Tori in a fierce hug. Tori yelped.
"I'm very, very, very sorry, Tori," Summer said, her voice dripping with sincerity. "I was a very naughty girl to eat your birthday cake, and I'm not going to do that any, any more. Never!"
Tori looked helplessly up at her father. He shrugged.
"Take what you can get, Victoria, my dear. Take what you can get."
Tori rolled her eyes and pushed none too gently away from Summer's boa like embrace.
"Okay, Summer," she said resignedly. "But I hope you've learned a lesson," she couldn't help adding.
But Summer ignored her and looked hopefully up at her father.
"Am I a big girl, now, Daddy?" she asked.
Roxton couldn't repress a chuckle. "You're getting bigger every day, my Little Terror," he said lovingly.
Victoria slipped her hand into her mother's.
"Four year olds are such pains, aren't they, Mother?" she signed dramatically, speaking from her lofty ten year old view.
"They do have a lot to learn," agreed Marguerite. She and Tori shared an identical smile.
Meanwhile, Will, hearing that there was still some cake left, had wasted no time in pulling the mangled remains out of the picnic basket. He was well into his second handful, when Tori saw what he was doing.
"You're not going to eat that?" she asked, looking down at the gooey mess. "It's disgusting!"
Will shrugged his shoulders. "Still tastes good," he mumbled with his mouth full.
Roxton took the plate from him and set on a high rocky shelf out of his reach.
"Sorry, old boy. But that cake has caused enough problems, already. Let's go sit with the others."
Roxton was still a little concerned about how digestible his wife's cake would prove to be for the children. He had lived through not a few upset stomachs while she was learning to cook. "Have to keep an eye on those two," he thought to himself.
The Roxtons found seats on the floor beside the others. The children were given a drink and Rosie woke up long enough to have a bottle. Then the three little Roxtons snuggled into the soft cushions and fell sound asleep.
While this was going on, Summerlee and Veronica were deep in conversation.
"I missed you so much, Arthur. I felt that I had lost another member of my family."
"You know, I always had a special place in my heart for you, my dear. You remind my so much of my late wife. When I first met her, she had long, golden hair just like yours." He looked at her with true affection. Then he smiled.
"Strange, I see that your hair is now a lovely shade of red, and you have changed your, how should I say this? Ah, wardrobe Yes, you look very much like a bonny, Irish lass." He chuckled at his own wit.
"My, my," he continued. "If I had known that you and Alice were dressing up, I would have thrown a masquerade party!" He laughed again. Then grew serious. "Tell me, dear Veronica, why have you disguised yourself?"
Veronica looked over at the children who were listening in fascination to their conversation. She squirmed uncomfortably.
"It was necessary that - " she coughed, "that I change my looks so that-" She cleared her throat, "so that I wouldn't be recognized."
"I see," Summerlee said slowly. "Just like Alice."
Veronica whipped her head around to stare at him.
Seeing that everyone was settled, he slapped his knees and began. "If everyone is ready, I'll tell you why I brought you all here."
He looked around at the assembly. He couldn't help smiling with joy. "My, it is wonderful to have you all here," he beamed. "I didn't realize just how lonely I was."
They smiled back at him. They, too, were feeling as if their little circle was, at last, complete.
Veronica, with an effort, regained her poise and spoke up.
"Arthur, why don't you first tell us how you came to be here," she suggested. "I don't think we can concentrate until our curiosity is satisfied."
"Hear, hear!" agreed Challenger. Marguerite and Roxton nodded.
Summerlee signed resignedly. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to postpone our discussion for a little while. But, mind you, we mustn't put it off too long."
The adults settled more comfortably into the pillows they were sitting on and the older children sat beside each other between their parents. The children were curious to hear how their parents knew the Sw'atee king. Edward, since Alice had whispered the news to him, was especially keen to hear about the time he lived in their treehouse.
"There is one thing I want to tell you right away," Arthur began. "The reason I haven't contacted you in all these years is that I didn't remember anything about my life with you until about a fortnight ago."
"What happened, Arthur, that you couldn't remember us?" asked Ned.
"All in good time, Ned. All in good time," the old man said. He was tickled to see that Ned's reporter instincts were just as sharp as ever.
"Now,' he said, cocking his head towards the children, "have you told the children about our adventures on the plateau?"
The five other explorers looked guiltily at each other.
"Well, not everything," Veronica told him, her voice full of meaning. She caught his eye and tried to convey to him that the subject was one that was best left alone.
He nodded slowly. "Ah, I see." He thought for a moment. "They will have to know about Tribune and my last encounter with him. I hope that won't be a problem?"
The parents consulted each other with their eyes, while the children's eyes were wide with curiosity.
Marguerite was the one who answered him.
"We think it would be okay, Arthur, if you really think it's necessary."
He nodded and began to tell the children, with the others putting in forgotten details, the adventure that ended with the stand at the swinging bridge over the deep river ravine.
The children listened to him, riveted, as, for the first time, they heard about how their parents and grandparent fought one of the more dangerous tribes on the plateau. When they heard the part where the men were sent plunging into the river far below, they clung tightly to their parents, glad that everyone was here, safe.
"Now then," he finished. "I'll tell you my story from that point on, and, at a later date, you can tell me yours."
"Excuse me, sir," Edward interrupted, "but could you tell us more stories about the adventures you and our parents had before we were born? I think our parents forgot to tell us those stories."
His sarcasm was not lost on the adults.
Summerlee, who had understood Veronica's unspoken message earlier, shook his head.
"Sorry, my boy. You see, I wasn't around for long, and I didn't participate in all the adventures."
At the children's disappointed looks, he said, "I'm sure your parents will tell you all you need to know when the time is right."
Edward flopped down on the cushion and shook his head resignedly at the two girls. "Well, I tried," he muttered.
Summerlee's five old friends were really curious to know how he had escaped death from, not only the fall, but also from the arrow wound in his stomach.
They all shifted into more comfortable positions as Summerlee began his story.
"Well, after I was shot, I remember falling helplessly into the river far down in the gorge. Somehow, I was able to surface and grab on to a floating branch. I floated along with an arrow sticking out of my middle thinking that I had reached my end at last. I was surprisingly calm, and I managed to pull the arrow from my wound. It didn't bleed much or hurt. Maybe the cold water of the river was the reason. I was just thinking that I might come out of this all right, when I heard the waterfall ahead of me. I knew, then, that I wouldn't make it after all. I shut my eyes tightly and prayed. The river moved me faster and faster, bringing me closer and closer to sure death. Water covered my head as I felt myself sweep over the waterfall."
He paused, remembering that frightening experience. It was hard for those listening to him, too.
"You needn't go on if you'd rather not, old boy," Challenger told his friend, compassionately.
"No, no, George. I think I need to tell you what happened to me." He laughed bleakly. "I haven't been able to tell anyone yet, you see. And they do say it's healthy to talk about things like this. I will finish my story."
He sat silently for a moment and, then, continued with a deep sigh.
"Now, this is the strange part. Instead of going over the long fall and onto the rocks at the bottom, I fell through the water and landed on a ledge behind the waterfall. I didn't realize at that time that this ledge was the doorstep of a cave. I landed very hard on my back, yet I felt no pain. At that time, I think I was more dead then alive. I was just conscious enough to see these pale people, angels, as I thought, float out of the rock wall. They lifted me up, as if I weighed nothing at all, and carried me inside. I must, then, have lost consciousness. It wasn't until much later that I understood that they had cured my fever and healed my wounds. All but my legs, I'm afraid. You see, the fall broke my spine and I have been confined to this chair ever since."
At their horrified looks, he hastened to reassure them. "I am in no pain, thank heavens, and two of the Sw'atee take care of my needs. Like I told you, they are a very kind and generous race."
He smiled at the Sw'atee who were sitting quietly on either side of him, and then he turned back to his guests.
"When I regained consciousness, my memory of the recent past was quite gone. I remembered my name and my life in London, but I didn't have the vaguest notion how I gotten inside a cave deep under some mountains. I will tell you that it was hard for me to accept the situation. I was not a very nice person, I'm afraid."
He gave an embarrassed chuckle.
" I demanded that they take me to the nearest transport. Of course, they couldn't understand what I was saying, which only made me angrier. I'm afraid that I fell into quite a depression, what with my paralysis and frustration. In fact, I became quite mad! I can remember ranting and raving at these poor people."
He paused.
"The puzzling part was that they treated me, a crippled, mad, old man, with such reverence," he said slowly.
He shook his head at the memory.
"It was quite a long time before I was coherent enough to try to talk to them. Their language was very hard to learn because they communicate with little sound. They speak a whispering language, you know. However, we can communicate quite well now" he said with satisfaction.
"I didn't find out why they were so kind to me until I had mastered enough of their language to understand K'mer, the storyteller's, words. It was only then I came to understand that they thought I was their ancient king, fallen from the mountaintop! I tried to tell them that I was no king, but they would not accept this." He shook his head in remembered frustration. "What was one to do?"
"You see, these beautiful, kind people don't live very long. They live only long enough to see their children reach adulthood, about thirty years. Many, many years ago, the Sw'atee lived in the mountain meadows. Their gentle nature made them an easy target for the dinosaurs and fierce tribes that began to appear on the plateau. They were soon close to extinction.
In their village, at that time, was a Sw'atee king who was revered for his intelligence and inventiveness. This man was further honored because he was approaching his fortieth year, an age never before know in all their history. As he saw their numbers dwindle and realized that they would soon lose the battle for their very existence, he climbed up the mountain and sent down a great rockslide that swept away everything in its path. When the stones, trees, and boulders stopped falling, the opening to a cave was revealed. The people waited and watched, but their king never came down from the mountain. In the end, the Sw'atee moved into the cave where they were safe from dinosaurs, apemen, cannibals and other tribes who had threatened them. They finally came to realize the gift their king had given them.
They have lived in these caves for many hundred years. When I fell right at their front door, as it were, and because of my advanced age, they claimed I was that legendary man -- their ancient king."
Chuckling, this time quite happily, he winked at the children.
"Now here is a very bizarre coincidence," he said. "As soon as I had recovered from my injuries, and, even though I did not yet understand their language, I had introduced myself as Arthur Summerlee."
At their puzzled looks, he sighed and leaned forward.
"Don't you see?" he explained patiently. "When K'mer was telling me this story, I learned that their king's name was R'tor Sw'atee!"
The new King of the Sw'atee leaned back in his chair and laughed. "I finally understood why they treated me so well."
The children looked at each other and smiled. It made sense, now. They understood the connection between their parents' old friend and their friend R'tor.
"That is quite a coincidence, Arthur," agreed Roxton, after a few seconds. He hadn't caught on as quickly as the children. "But, please, tell us about these remarkable caves." He smiled over at his friends. "After all, we spent a good deal of our time exploring caves when we were looking for a way off of the plateau."
They all laughed and looked at each other with knowing glances.
"Right you are, John. How well I remember those days!" Arthur's laugh was quite jolly. Reuniting with his friends had raised his spirits and made him feel years younger.
He turned his gleaming eyes to his old friend.
"I think you will find this particularly interesting, George. The cave system on the plateau is all interconnected! My friends have been exploring and mapping these caves for over two hundred years and have never found the end of it. The Forever Caves, as they call them, must travel under the whole mountain range. The caves open into every part of the plateau. The Sw'atee control these openings and can close them at will.'
George stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That would explain many of our strange adventures."
The others nodded in agreement.
Summerlee settled back and continued his tale.
"About ten years ago, when the danger first appeared, the people on the plateau were unprepared for its growing power. They tried to deal with it in their usual way, but it didn't work. Slowly the tribes and villages were decimated. Many of their people and animals were taken and even whole villages disappeared. No one and nothing was safe. About two years ago, the tribes came to the Sw'atee to ask if they could live in the caves to escape the terror. Even tribes that were once the Sw'atee's enemies begged for a place in the Forever Caves. The Sw'atee invited them all in, even the worst of them, and they have all found a place of safety here. The one law that is strictly enforced is no violence amongst the guests. So great is the fear of the danger, that no one is willing to be turned out."
He shook his head. "The danger is getting worse, I'm afraid. The Sw'atee tell me that miles of the jungle have disappeared. The danger has created a spinning vortex in the middle of the plateau that is sucking in any animal, dinosaur, or person who gets too near. It is drawing the plateau into itself. If we don't find a way to stop it, some day the whole plateau may disappear!"
Roxton now understood why the mountains appeared so much closer then they had been. They actually were closer.
"Good lord!" Challenger exclaimed. "We had no idea that things had gotten so bad.
The others nodded and looked at each other in concern and fear.
Of course, fear always triggered temper in Marguerite.
"So, Arthur," she said, impatiently. "I'd like to know why you didn't contact us as soon as you regained your memory?"
"I tried to, my dear! I sent the Sw'atee through the caves to find you. They opened caves all over the plateau and put themselves in considerable danger to search for you, but never saw any of you. I was very puzzled and began to wonder if you all had made it off the plateau after all or, heaven forbid, you had been taken by the danger. When they told me about meeting some children near our old treehouse, I immediately arranged to talk to them.
"It was only after I had questioned them that I realized that they were yours. Imagine my surprise!"
"Well, why did you tell them not to tell us about talking to you?" Veronica was becoming upset, too.
Summerlee's voice became hard, the voice of a king.
"I had just received some very startling information, something that my Sw'atee had uncovered from a cave deep inside the mountain, and I wasn't sure that it would be safe for me to contact you at that time. The information was very - unsettling and I puzzled over it for several days before I could figure out what I now think is its meaning."
He laughed mirthlessly.
"I got it wrong the first time, but, now, I believe that I understand what we need to do and your children are vital to a successful outcome."
Ned frowned and looked at Roxton. He could tell that Summerlee's cryptic explanation wasn't sitting well with him, either.
" Stop, Arthur!" Ned broke in. "You might understand, but we're still in the dark. You told our children that they were important in removing the danger from the plateau, and we need to know more about this. We've spent ten years trying to shield our children, to keep them safe from harm, and now you appear and tell us that they'll be exposed to the most deadly force ever to appear here."
He shook his head. "If what you tell us about the danger is true, then we adults will do everything in our power to help get rid of it, but we won't jeopardize our children's safety or peace of mind."
Veronica squeezed his arm in support.
"Ned's right, Arthur," Roxton said. "We want our children to grow up without having to deal with the dangers we faced when we came to the plateau or the trauma that Veronica experienced when she was a child. We won't have them put in danger."
The three children had been having a whispering conversation. Before Roxton could continue, Victoria jumped up.
"Wait a minute, Dad. I'd like to say something."
"Victoria," warned Marguerite.
"No, Mom. This is important." She looked down at Edward and his sister. "I'm speaking for all of us kids." She nodded at Will and Summer as they sat up, knuckling the sleep out of their eyes.
She motioned for them stand beside her. Will and Summer looked at their big sister curiously but knew better than to protest when Tori had that look on her face. Alice and Edward jumped up and stood shoulder to shoulder. Alice had an unaccustomed frown between her eyebrows.
The adults had never seen Victoria looking quite so determined.
"We kids have been hearing things today that you've never told us before. R'tor talked about places and people on the plateau that we've never even known existed. It's not fair! We children were born on the plateau," she said, moving her hand to include all of the other children, including Rosie who had just woken up. "The plateau is our home and we always assumed that we'd be living here all of our lives -- you've never told us anything differently. Now, I've seen that the plateau is beautiful outside of the electric fence and we children should be able to live in all of our world, just as you once did." She glared around at the adults. "You haven't been honest with us!"
"Don't be so melodramatic, Tori," Challenger huffed, guilt making his voice gruff. "We would have told you when the time was right."
"We just wanted you all to be safe, sweetheart," Marguerite explained. Inwardly, she berated herself. How stupid they had been not to realize there would be consequences to their decision to keep the children isolated. Although, it had seemed the only choice at the time.
Roxton tried to speak in a reasonable voice, "Our wish has always been to give you a happy, normal childhood, free from worry and danger."
Victoria would have none of it. She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice.
"How can our childhood be normal if you keep us penned up like prisoners? How can we be free from danger if we don't know what the danger is? We felt safer when you taught us to throw a spear and shoot a gun, but, from what R'tor has told us, I don't think a spear or a gun will have any affect on the real danger."
The other children nodded. They, too, were becoming indignant. Tori rolled on.
You've been saying that you want to keep us safe. How can we ever be safe with this danger on the plateau? R'tor told us that we kids can help get rid of this danger if we act now. We can't wait until we grow up. There might not be a plateau by then. What kind of future would we have then?" She paused to draw breath. "So, the way we see it, we have no choice. We have to do it." She looked at her mother's worried face. "Don't you see?" she pleaded, "The plateau is our home, the only home we'll ever have. Isn't home worth fighting for?
Roxton rubbed his chin.
"Well, Tori, you've made an interesting case."
Tori grinned at the other children.
"However," her father continued, raising a cautionary finger. "That doesn't mean that we agree with you. We'll talk it over and decide on the best course of action."
Victoria's face fell. Edward elbowed her and leaned in to whisper, "They'll agree, you'll see."
"Is there a safe place for the children to play while we discuss this? " Veronica asked Arthur.
"But of course, my dear. The Sw'atee children have quite a large play chamber. I'm sure the children will have a wonderful time there."
Tilly looked at George and said. "I will go with the children."
"Now, wait a minute, Tilly," Challenger protested. "We'll need your wise counsel to help us decide on a course of action."
"George is right, Tilly," Roxton interjected. "We need you here."
"Have no fear, Mrs. Challenger. The Sw'atee have excellent teachers. The children will be well cared for," Summerlee assured her.
"But---but, Arthur," Marguerite stammered. "We can't just send them off with strangers. For one thing, the children won't be understood. The Sw'atee don't speak English!"
"Oh, but they do! Well, at least some of them do. English is taught to the children, although it is very hard for them to learn. Oh, not the language itself, but speaking it aloud. They find it very funny," Summerlee chuckled.
"Oh, please let us go, Mommy," pleaded Summer. "Please! I need to play."
Marguerite glanced over at Veronica, who slowly nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Okay, you can all go." She aimed a stern look at her children. "But no trouble -- understand?"
Suddenly remembering about his wife's cake the children had eaten, Roxton cleared his throat and said quietly to his son, "How are you and Summer feeling, Will? No tummy aches, eh?"
Marguerite heard him anyway, and she raised one questioning eyebrow at him.
Will said, "No, Dad. We're fine."
"What---?" Marguerite began.
"Nothing, nothing, dear," Roxton hastened to say. "Just checking up on the little tykes."
She was distracted from Roxton's odd behavior by the arrival of two Sw'atee.
The children hurriedly put on their backpacks. They were excited.
The female Sw'atee stepped forward to stand in front of Marguerite who was holding the baby tightly in her arms. Confronted by this stranger, Marguerite suddenly had second thoughts about letting her precious children out of her sight. She stared at the pleasant looking woman with apprehension.
"I am Ry'see. I am the infant teacher," the pale woman said quietly. Marguerite could see that it was an effort for her to move her lips.
"What is your baby's name?"
Marguerite smiled down at her youngest child. "Her name is Rose," she said.
Rosie, hearing her name, clapped her hands and bounced in her mother's arms.
Ry'see smiled. "My baby is called By'too. He is a year old. He and Rose will be happy to play together."
Marguerite smiled back at her. She was surprised to feel an instant trust in this woman. She nodded her head slowly as she said, "I do believe they will."
"Rosie," Marguerite whispered in Sw'atee. "Ry'see will take you to play with her son. Mommy and Daddy will come to see you soon."
Ry'see looked at her with surprise, but was stopped from asking her how she had learned the Sw'atee language when Rosie squealed and practically jumped into her arms.
Both women laughed at the baby's enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the other children were meeting the man who would be taking charge of them. He was different from the Sw'atee they had met already. He spoke English very well and in a strong voice. He smiled often and even laughed out loud. He talked for a few minutes with the children and then turned to Ned, Veronica, and Roxton to tell them a little bit about the educational system of the Sw'atee. To the anxious parents, the gentle guidance and the encouragement of individual interest that earmarked the Sw'atee philosophy in both education and play reassured them that their children would be in good hands.
The Roxtons and Malones couldn't help showing their apprehension, though. They had never left their children with anyone but Grandma Tilly and so were naturally anxious about leaving them with these strangers. Only Arthur's reassurance and the good impression they had gotten from the two teachers kept them from changing their minds about letting the children go.
The children were waiting impatiently by the doorway. They couldn't wait to play with some new children. This whole day had been an eye-opener to them. They had heard more about their parent's past---exciting, mysterious past--- today then they had ever heard before. The older three children were bursting to ask more questions now that the information floodgate had been opened, but they also realized that now was not the time. They would wait, but then they wanted to know everything.
Edward watched his parents' faces. He could tell that they were waffling about letting them go. He sighed in exasperation and leaned back against the wall. Suddenly, he remembered something and, with a smile, shrugged off his backpack, grabbed it by its straps, and carried it over to R'Tor.
"Excuse me, R'tor," he said. Arthur, who had been talking to his Sw'atee companions, turned and smiled at the young boy.
"Yes, Edward."
Edward spoke hesitantly. "I---that is---we, Alice and me, planted those seeds you sent to us."
Arthur sighed. "Thank you very much, my boy. I hope you and Alice weren't too disappointed when they didn't sprout."
Edward frowned at him. "But, they did sprout, R'tor. The plants grew really fast! My Mom said they were the strangest looking plants she'd ever seen!"
Edward wasn't hesitant, now. He plopped his backpack down and unbuckled the straps. Turning it upside down, he shook it hard and out fell a good size pile of withering, freakish-looking plants.
Summerlee's mouth dropped open in astonishment.
"By God!" Arthur exclaimed, "but this is wonderful! Who could have guessed you'd have such success?"
If Arthur was happy to see the plants, the Sw'atee around him were ecstatic. With much whispering and gesturing they moved to stand around the pile. Even the two teachers stopped their conversations to smile widely at Edward's gift.
Edward and the others were astounded and confused at the reception the plants were receiving. Roxton excused himself and turned to Summerlee.
"What's happening, Arthur? You'd think that Edward had brought them the Hope diamond."
"Oh, these plants are much more valuable, John. We thought that we'd never see them grow again."
"What kind of plants are they, Arthur? I've never seen one quite like these." Challenger peered closely at the pile. His curiosity tempted him to pick one up, but seeing the proprietary look on the faces of the Sw'atee, he only looked.
"Well, George," Summerlee began. His voice took on his lecture cadence. "This plant, that the Sw'atee call t'balee, is a staple of their diet. They found this plant growing in the caves when they moved in over two hundred years ago. The plant is peculiar in that it doesn't need sunlight." He rubbed his knuckle across his mustache. "At least that is what we always thought. After the last harvest, over a year ago, the t'balee stopped growing in the caves. The Sw'atee tried planting it up in the mountain meadows, by waterways, in snow, in sand, in peat---nothing worked. We have been rationing the remaining t'balee, but, I'm sorry to say, we have only a few months supply left. The Sw'atee have been in despair because this plant has many special properties that the Sw'atee have become accustomed to."
He paused thoughtfully.
"We will, of course, need to determine why the plants grew so well in Veronica's garden when they would grow nowhere else, but, in the meantime, the seeds from Edward's crop may be just what we need to be able to grow our own crops once again."
As Summerlee finished speaking, everyone stood quietly gazing down at the treasured pile.
Marguerite was the first to break the silence. Something Summerlee had said caught her attention.
"Just what kind of "special properties" do these plants possess, Arthur?" she asked. Her mouth quirked up on one side and her voice held only the slightest hint of acquisitiveness.
"Dear Marguerite. Still on the hunt for treasure, I see."
"Not at all, dear Arthur," she said blandly. "I have my treasures, I just want to hear about yours."
Summerlee was slightly taken aback, but the others grinned. Marguerite wasn't quite as easy to goad as she had been.
He closed his eyes and bowed his head to her in silent apology. How he'd missed them. It was as if they were all back in the treehouse once again.
He signed. "Well, now, of course you do, my dear. However, the properties of this plant are a closely guarded secret known only to the Sw'atee. As far as I can determine, they are the only tribe on the plateau who have cultivated this species of flora and understand its importance."
He squinted his eyes at his old friends and then slowly nodded.
"Under the circumstances, however, I, as King of the Sw'atee, think it is necessary to share this secret with you. But you must promise that you'll tell no one else about this. Promise?"
He peered down his nose at the children.
Will startled at the sudden scrutiny. He hastily crossed his heart with his finger.
The other children chorused, "Yes, sir."
"Good," Summerlee said, satisfied.
He cleared his throat. "Now to begin. This wondrous plant is composed of five parts and each of the five parts has a different property."
He was momentarily distracted by Summer, who began to count her fingers.
"One. Two. Three---"
Victoria bumped her little sister with her hip. "Shush," she whispered fiercely.
Summer scowled at her sister and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ahem," Arthur coughed. "As I was saying, each part of the plant has a different property. Let me show you what I mean."
He motioned for someone to hand him a plant. Ever so reverently, he held it up for them to see.
The plant was about six inches tall. Long, stringy, white roots hung like a beard from the bottom. The stalk was an orange color with red veins running down its length. Jutting out of the stalk were three short, thin twigs, each one topped by a trio of gray, pointy leaves. At the top, the stalk branched out into five separate stems. Each of the stems was crowned with a round, yellow knob.
Victoria and Marguerite exchanged a grimace. It was not a thing of beauty.
"Ewww!" Will muttered under his breath.
Even Alice couldn't think of anything nice to say about it.
Summerlee grinned at their reaction.
"Not very appealing to look at, I grant you," he said. "But, speaking as a botanist, it is the most remarkable plant I have every seen. I'm sure you'll think so too when I have told you its secret."
"Okay, okay, Arthur. You've build up the suspense quite enough. Get on with it, will you." Challenger was almost dancing with impatience.
"Of course, George," Arthur smiled. Just as curious as ever, he thought.
"Now then," he said again, gathering them all in with his eyes, "I will start at the bottom and make my way upward." He laid the long, white roots over his palm. "The roots of this plant have many culinary uses. They are used primarily as a salad ingredient, but are also used as what Europeans would call noodles. Boiling the roots produces a drink that the Sw'atee think is most delicious."
Summerlee stopped and drew a deep breath in through his nose and blew it out of his mouth.
"All right---here goes. The secret of the root is that it is responsible for sharpening one's vision. Once you have ingested the root, in whatever way, your eyesight becomes quite incredibly good. You can see great distances and in sharp detail. Why, one can almost see around corners!"
The children widened their eyes at that, but the adults chuckled.
Marguerite laughed. "Pack up a dozen roots for me, Arthur. You all know how much "super-vision" my lot needs," she punned.
"Good one, Marguerite," Veronica applauded. "And I guess if George ate that root, he would become a true "visionary".
Challenger snorted. Tilly giggled.
Roxton rose to the occasion, if somewhat pitifully. "Eat that root and you wouldn't have to leave home to go sightseeing," he ventured.
Marguerite groaned and smacked him on the arm.
Now, everyone was laughing. The younger children didn't quite understand the joke, but that didn't stop them from joining in. Alice had to bang Will on the back when his laugh went down the wrong pipe.
"Enough, enough!" shouted Ned, still chuckling. "Let Arthur continue."
"Oh my," Arthur gasped, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "I have missed this."
Ned cocked his eye at his old friend and asked, "Is there any way you could speed up this revelation, Arthur? Is the end in sight?" he finished with a grin.
"Okay, you're right, Ned. This could go on all day." Summerlee held up his hand to get the group's attention.
"Now, there is one more thing I'd like to mention about the roots and that is, if you seep them in water instead of boiling them, the resulting cold brew produces the "magic water" that I used to communicate with the children. I don't pretend to know how it works, but if I look in the water from here, I can see and hear anyone who is looking in the water in another place. Quite remarkable."
"Indeed it is," agreed Challenger. "I'd like to try that brew!"
"Blue what, Grandpa?" Summer asked innocently.
Summerlee groaned. "In order to avoid another episode of bad puns, I'll quickly describe the other four properties, and then the children can be on their way."
Moving his finger up the plant, Summerlee pointed to the odd colored stalk.
"The precious seeds are removed from inside the stalk and then it is mashed into a pulp. The pulp is dried, ground, and made into bread. The Sw'atee carry this bread with them everywhere, for it gives them great strength and endurance when they need it."
He quickly went on before anyone could say anything.
"That brings us to the leaves. We chew them. They are the secret of the Sw'atee's speed." His finger moved higher. "These five fleshy stems at the top are full of juice. The bud on the top of the stem acts like a stopper, a very tight and necessary stopper, too, I might add. Once it is popped off, the juice is carefully poured out into flasks that have been lined with the skin of the plant. Great care must be taken not to spill it, for it makes anything it touches or anyone who drinks it quite invisible for a short period of time!"
"Incredible," Challenger murmured.
The old man nodded.
"And now we come to this remarkable yellow bud. I grant you, it doesn't look like much," he said, holding up the little ball between his thumb and finger. "but it is very potent."
"What does it do, R'tor?" asked Edward, wide-eyes with interest.
Summerlee winked at the boy.
"Well, Edward, I'm not sure exactly how to describe its special property. I suppose I could say that it gives one the power of kinetic energy ruled by the conscious mind.
"Come again, Arthur?" Ned said, frowning.
"I think I know what he's talking about," Challenger said slowly, but with excitement building in his voice. "Kinetic energy? Ruled by the mind? Are you saying, Arthur, that that little---bean can give one the power to move an object just by thinking one wants it to move?"
"Indeed, George. With this little bean, as you call it, the Sw'atee can clear large boulders from cave-ins. They can pull a bird from the sky." He cocked his head and peered slyly at his friends. "Or even a balloon."
Roxton and Marguerite shared a startled glance.
"How do you activate this bean, Arthur?" Veronica asked. "Do you eat it or drink it?"
"Neither, my dear. You stick it in your ear."
"What?" they all chorused.
"You---stick it---in---your ear," Arthur repeated slowly.
Veronica shook her head and laughed. "Really, Arthur. You had us going for a minute there." She stood up. "Gather up your backpacks, children. It's time to go."
"Don't you believe him, Mom?" Alice asked. She was totally puzzled. R'tor was the king. He wouldn't lie.
"Arthur was just teasing us, Alice. No one puts beans in their ears."
Alice glanced over at Summer to see if she was going to let that one pass, but she had taken her Dolly out of her pocket and was showing it to Ry'see.
After much kissing and hugging, the children marched out of R'tor's chamber behind the slowly moving teachers. Marguerite reached for John's hand as her children disappeared down the passageway. With a deep sigh, they walked over to sit with the others.
Just as they sat down, they heard running footsteps and turned around to see Edward skid to a stop just inside the chamber. He grinned in embarrassment as he stooped down beside Arthur's chair and picked up his forgotten backpack. He threw it over one shoulder and had turned to leave when he changed his mind and flung his arms around the old man's neck, instead. Surprised, Arthur hugged him back.
"I believe what you said about the plant, R'tor," Edward whispered.
"Thank you, my boy," he answered, gruffly.
Edward let him go, mumbled "Sorry" to his parents, and scurried out. The last thing he heard before he was out of earshot was R'tor saying, "Now, let me tell you what we've discovered."
Edward ran pell-mell down the passageway to catch up with the others. His mind was as busy as his feet as it sorted through all of the new information he had learned. However, the battle against the danger was uppermost in his thoughts. He didn't think victory would be too difficult. He, Will, and Atoo often played knights and dragons (Atoo called it warriors and dinosaurs). Atoo was usually the dragon, since he thought that was the strongest and bravest part. And, Edward admitted to himself, Will had the cleverest ideas on how to fool the dragon and lead him into their trap. But Edward knew that it was his imagination (gotten from his father, he had been told) that made the game so interesting and fun. From all of the bits and pieces of all of the books he had read, he could build stories and scenarios that sometimes took days for the boys to play out. Tori often played with them. She played the princess who was caught by the dragon and needed to be rescued. The only trouble with that was that Tori got so cranky and uncooperative and complained that Atoo was always dragging her around and making her hide behind damp bushes or dirty rocks. She always ended up insisting that she wanted to be a knight, too. Edward shook his head at her unreasonable attitude. Who ever heard of a girl knight? As much as Edward admired Tori, he secretly thought that Alice and Summer made much better damsels in distress. They would sit anywhere Atoo put them, playing with their dolls, and chatting, and singing. Edward grinned as he remembered how mad Atoo got when their singing got so loud that he and Will had no trouble finding and rescuing them before Atoo got back to his lair.
Yes, Edward thought, he and Will were experienced knights. Getting rid of the danger should be as easy as capturing the dragon. Swiftly following that thought, the sensible, realistic side of Edward (gotten from his mother, he was told) made him shift his shoulders uneasily. Well, he admitted, maybe it would be a little harder what with swirling vortexes and storms and earthquakes and all.
So busy was he with his thoughts that it wasn't until too late that he realized the danger he was in. The loose straps from his backpack had somehow managed to get between his feet. He took several stumbling steps forward as the tangle tripped him up and sent him painfully to his knees.
With a grunt of pain, and a hiss of exasperation, he knelt on the rocky floor of the passage and roughly pulled his backpack off. He was mad at himself. It seemed that the only time he got hurt was when his mind was miles away from his body. He frowned and began to re-buckle the treacherous straps. To further annoy him, one of the straps was stuck inside the biggest pocket. Muttering in frustration, he jammed his hand in to free it. His fingers felt something round and soft at the bottom.
Edward gave a shout of alarm, jerked his hand out and dropped the satchel on the floor.
"Bloody hell, it's a snake!" he exclaimed and then looked about quickly to make sure no one was around to hear him use his Uncle John's favorite cuss words.
Cautiously, he stood up, picked up his pack by the sides and, holding it out at arms lengths, shook it hard. Nothing fell out. Edward took a deep breath and shook the pack even harder. He jumped back as something landed softly on the floor. Well, at least it wasn't a snake, he thought with relief as he saw five, small t'balee plants lying there. His relief turned quickly to exasperation. Now he would have to go all the way back to the chamber to give them to R'tor.
With a sigh, Edward picked up the t'balee from the floor, but instead of putting them back into his backpack, he stared thoughtfully at the disgusting looking plants. His sharp mind quickly ran through all of the things Arthur had told them. He stood thinking for a moment and then, making up his mind, he carefully stuffed the plants back into his backpack, buckled the straps securely and started running down the passageway in the direction of the playroom.
He wouldn't be giving these plants to R'tor after all. He had a plan.
(TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 4)
Roxton and Marguerite stood with their mouths gaping open. The shock of seeing their long, lost friend alive temporarily robbed them of speech.
The children had no such trouble. With a shout of joy, Alice and Victoria ran over and hugged the old man around his neck.
Summer stood back. She didn't know this man and she wasn't sure if she wanted to. He was so very old!
After hugging both girls and commenting on Alice's change in appearance - "I thought for a moment there that you were your dear brother Edward!" --, Summerlee looked over at the youngest girl, who was standing at a distance. She had one eyebrow raised in consternation and a slight scowl on her face. How many times had he seen that same look on her father's face? He held out his hand and beckoned her over.
She approached him hesitatingly, but allowed him to take her hand.
"So, this is my little namesake! How very kind of you to remember me," he said, looking up at Marguerite and Roxton.
He turned back to the little girl.
"You know that my name is Summerlee, too. We have the same name."
Summer frowned. "I thought your name was R'tor," she said suspiciously.
He laughed. "It is. And it's also Arthur.'
Summer had been puzzling something out.
"How can your name be Summer Leigh? You're a boy," she said, very sure of herself.
"I can see that you are a very good thinker," he chuckled.
Summer smiled at him. "Yes, I am," she agreed. She liked him.
Marguerite found her voice.
"Arthur, how on earth did you get here? And why didn't you let us know that you were alive?"
"Now, now, Marguerite, there will be plenty of time to hear my story. But first, we need to discuss the reason I brought you here."
"You brought us here?" Roxton exclaimed. He shook his head. "I have to admit, Summerlee, that I am completely overwhelmed."
Summerlee chuckled, again. "As I was, John, when I found out that you and Marguerite had four children! I never would have predicted such a thing. Why, the last time I saw you two together, you were quarreling and arguing."
"They still do that," Summer assured him.
Summerlee cocked his head to one side. "Well, they must have stopped a few times." His eyes slid over to look at the children.
"Really, Arthur," murmured Marguerite.
As her excitement died down, Victoria realized that her parents were talking to R'tor as if they were well acquainted. She turned a puzzled frown towards her parents. "Mom, Dad, how do you know R'tor?"
Marguerite put her hand on Tori's shoulder. "Arthur Summerlee is an old friend of ours, Tori. A long time ago, before any of you were born, he lived with us all in Aunt Veronica's treehouse."
"Really?" breathed Alice. Her eyes were round with excitement. The Sw'atee king used to live in her treehouse! Just wait until Edward heard that, she thought.
Roxton broke in. His tone was testy as he asked, "Why don't you tell us what's going on here, Arthur. It seems our children are involved in something potentially dangerous."
Summerlee waved him off. "All in good time, John. All in good time. We'll just wait for the others, shall we? No use in telling everything twice."
Suddenly concerned, he turned to Victoria and asked, "You did get word to Edward, didn't you, my dear?"
"Of course," Victoria nodded.
"Ah, I knew you would figure it out. You children are very clever, indeed." He rubbed his hands together cheerfully. "Well, that's all right then. They'll all be here soon."
Roxton and Marguerite were giving a very good imitation of a volcano about to erupt.
Summerlee went on, "This is truly a momentous occasion." He beamed at the fuming couple. "All of us together again. I can hardly wait to see the others."
"Enough!" Marguerite exploded. "You'd better tell us what's going on right this minute, Arthur, or we're taking the children and leaving."
Summerlee actually smiled at her.
"I see that time hasn't tamed that hot temper of yours, Marguerite. It's good to know that some things never change."
"Come, girls," Marguerite growled. "We're leaving."
Roxton picked up Summer and headed towards the opening. Marguerite pulled the older two girls along after him.
"Wait! Wait!" Summerlee exclaimed. "You mustn't leave. I promise to tell you everything as soon as the others arrive."
Roxton turned back.
"What others, Arthur? Who are you waiting for?"
Summerlee looked at him in surprise.
"Well, I thought you knew. We're waiting for Ned and Veronica and Challenger."
At their incredulous looks, he hastened to reassure them.
"Oh, and the children, too, of course. Everything depends on them, after all."
Marguerite and Roxton looked at each other. Roxton slowly lowered Summer to the ground.
He sighed.
"I guess we'd better stay and hear this," he said to his wife.
"Well, it had better be good," she said, glaring at their old friend.
"I assure you, my dear, that it will more than meet your expectations."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
The old man leaned over and whispered to three of his Sw'atee and they disappeared, only to return seconds later carrying the boxes and bags that they had taken from the balloon.
"These are our things! How did you ---?" Marguerite exclaimed.
"Please," he interrupted her. "Please sit down, all of you. We might as well make ourselves comfortable, eh."
With some misgivings, Roxton and Marguerite motioned for the girls to sit on the cushions the Sw'atee had arranged on the floor. They then sat down themselves.
"Splendid!" the old man applauded. "Now, you must be hungry. Let's have a meal while we talk."
He cocked his head over and looked at the three young girls sitting so quietly on the soft pillows.
"A little bird told me that today is someone's special day. Now, which one of you lovely ladies was that bird talking about?"
"I know! The bird was talking about Tori. It's Tori' birthday today," Summer told him excitedly. "She's ten!"
"Ahh," said Summerlee with a twinkle in his eye. "The Lady Victoria."
Tori blushed.
"Ten years old! A momentous occasion, indeed," he said. He looked around happily. "My word, it's been a long time since I attended a birthday party."
Marguerite could contain herself no longer.
"Really, Summerlee, this is no time for a party. We need to know what danger we're in and we need to know now!"
Summerlee focused his pale, myopic eyes on his old friends. There was no sign of the garrulous, doddering old man in them now. His voice was as cold as the top of the mountain they were sitting under and as strong as stones that held it up. He spoke to them in a voice they had never heard him use before.
"We will wait for the others, Marguerite. Rest assured, there is no danger where we are."
Marguerite and Roxton exchanged a meaningful glance and subsided. There was something very different and strangely awe-inspiring about Arthur. Their old teddy bear had developed teeth!
Into the silence the sound of a small throat clearing was heard.
"There's probably some cake in the picnic basket," Victoria told him shyly. She looked over at her mother to see if she had guessed right.
Marguerite couldn't help smiling at her daughter. It was her birthday, after all. And, what a birthday it was turning out to be!
"Tori, I think that we'd better eat the sandwiches and fruit first. We'll save the cake until everyone is here."
The girls looked disappointed, but Roxton looked relieved. As much as he loved his wife, he still had a hard time appreciating all of her cooking. He usually made the birthday cakes for the family, but this time Marguerite had insisted on baking it herself. He mentally crossed his fingers that no one would get sick.
Marguerite stood up and handed out lunch. Hesitantly, she carried a sandwich and a banana over to Summerlee. Looking into his dear, familiar face, a wave of nostalgia swept over her. She knelt down and threw her arms around his neck.
"It's so good to see you, Arthur," she murmured into his ear. "I missed you."
"There, there, my dear," he said awkwardly, as he patted her back. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, as they say."
As Marguerite tearfully stood up, Roxton walked over and stuck out his hand.
"Indeed, Arthur, you were sorely missed," he said sincerely, smiling and shaking hands with this old friend.
With the air cleared and good feelings restored, they settled down and enjoyed the picnic lunch.
***
Having decided to find the Sw'atee and ask for their help, Ned and Veronica made short work of packing supplies into their backpacks. They tried to include something for any contingency.
Edward begged and pleaded with his parents to let him go down to the ground for something he needed to pack. Challenger volunteered to go with him, but Ned gave Edward permission to go by himself. The scientist's shrugged and busied himself repacking his backpack to be sure his scientific gadgets were all safely stowed. Tilly fed Rosie a bottle and handed out sandwiches to everyone.
When everything was packed to their satisfaction, the four adults and three children hurried over to the Roxton treehouse. Tilly packed a bag for Rosie and helped Will pack his.
Then, moving as fast as they could, the explorers headed for the meadow. They were going to look there first and see if they could get some information from R'tor through his "magic water."
Edward bounced with excitement as they strode onto the grassy field.
"I'll show you just where we go to talk to R'tor," he promised.
"Race you, Edward!" Will shouted, running past the older boy.
"Come back here, you two," Veronica yelled after the boys, who were halfway across the field.
"Edward!" Ned called to his son. His voice was one he didn't have to use very often, but Edward knew that he'd better obey.
"Coming, Dad," he called as he changed direction and loped back to his parents. Grumbling, Will came with him.
Ned, who was carrying the baby in the specially designed backpack Roxton had made for her, smiled as Rosie gurgled and reached over his shoulder towards her brother.
As Will came up to the adults, Rosie waved her arms and blew wet bubbles.
"Okay, okay, Rosie," Will said grudgingly. He looked up at his adopted uncle. "Uncle Ned, Rosie thinks we should hurry. She says that something bad is coming."
"Sure, Will," Ned said, condescendingly, winking at Veronica. "Rosie's quite a talker."
"I would listen to him, Dad," Edward said earnestly. "Will can understand what Rosie is saying."
While this exchange was going on, Rosie, leaning back as far as she could, was looking up at the sky. She pointed up and chattered loudly.
Challenger held on to his hat as he, too, looked upwards.
"Ah, Ned," he said slowly. "I think we would all be wise to listen to Rosie. I don't know what that is up there, but it seems to be coming right towards us."
At his words, they all looked up into a sky that was fast darkening with gray clouds piling up, blocking out the sun. The roiling mass was shot through with the electric gold of lighting that, to Challenger's wild imagination, turned into the glowing eyes of a beast. As a tremendous rumble of thunder shook the ground under them, they all stared running across the meadow to find cover.
They squeezed between the jagged rocks that had fallen from the cliff face, desperately seeking shelter, but there was nowhere to hide. Just as Veronica was going to suggest that they make a run for the protection of the jungle, a female figure stepped out from behind a rock and motioned for them to follow her.
"K'dell!" exclaimed Edward. "Mom, Dad, it's K'dell!"
The pale, thin woman murmured softly to them.
"She wants us to go with her," Will said. He listened intently as she whistled in her throat. He whispered back to her. "She says that she will show us the way to R'tor," he translated for them excitedly. He listened again. "Oh, my," he gasped, turning to the others. "She says she'll take us to my Mom and Dad!"
Challenger looked up at the dark, ominous sky, hovering menacingly over them, its beast-like eyes glowing even brighter. "Tell her to lead the way, my boy," he croaked. "Tell her to lead the way."
As Will spoke to the Sw'atee, she waved her hand behind her and a cave opening shimmered into view against the cliff face.
Without another word, they quickly scrambled after her as a snaking flash of pure energy leapt down from the sky and exploded the field behind them.
***
The cavern walls echoed with unaccustomed sound.
"I did so see A'mit."
"That was Me'hyar"
"Was not!"
"Was so!"
"Waaa, mum-mum-mum, waaa!"
"There, there, little Rose. We will feed you soon."
"Please, boys. Stay with us!"
"My word, these crystal walls are fascinating. Look up there, Tilly."
Hearing the familiar voices, John and Marguerite jumped up and hurried out the chamber opening. They wanted to prepare the others for what (or who) they were about to see.
At the sight of their two friends popping out of opening ahead of them, Ned stopped in surprise.
"Marguerite, John!" he exclaimed in voice in which curiosity and relief were equally mixed. "We were told you were in the caves. How on earth did you get here?"
Veronica overcame her surprise quickly. Her anxiety about her daughter caused her voice to come out sharply.
"Is Alice with you? Is she all right?"
Before they could answer, the girls burst through the door and Alice ran, yelling with joy, to her parents, and poor tired, hungry Rosie saw her mother and reached out to her, crying even louder.
The dim, stony passageway was the scene of total pandemonium. Everyone was talking at once, asking questions, answering questions, crying, hugging, kissing, exclaiming, boasting, and arguing.
Finally, the girls took the boys back into the large chamber so that they could meet R'tor, and their parents and grandparents were able to talk in the sudden quiet.
Roxton put his hand on Challenger's shoulder. He wanted to lessen the shock to his old friend, if he could. Summerlee and Challenger had started off as bitter rivals, but had become great friends.
"George, old boy," he began. He gathered Ned and Veronica in with his look. "I want to prepare you for a surprise. A very happy surprise, I might add." He looked at his friends carefully to see their reaction. They looked at him with puzzled expressions on their faces.
"Well, you have heard about R'tor, I presume? Well, of course you have. I'm sure Edward told you all about him."
"He's the king of the Sw'atee, right?" Veronica said.
"Right, right," Roxton said. "But, well, I have some other news about him, too."
Roxton was having a hard time getting to the point.
"Oh, stop dithering, John," broke in Marguerite, annoyed. She faced her friends. "He's Arthur."
At her friends' blank looks, she sighed. "Arthur Summerlee," she said slowly. She waited for their reaction.
"Nonsense!" Challenger huffed. "Arthur died over ten years ago."
With a small exclamation, Ned and Veronica, who had learned to believe the impossible, rushed through the entrance to R'tor's chamber.
Challenger looked after them, then turned back to the others.
"Are you trying to tell me that R'tor is some sort of apparition? The ghost of Summerlee?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes, yes," Roxton said excitedly. At a look from Marguerite, he corrected himself. "Well, no. No, George. He isn't the ghost of Summerlee. He really is Summerlee."
"Nonsense," Challenger said again, though without conviction in his voice.
Tilly took his arm.
"Come, George. Let us go see your old friend," she said gently.
Challenger, still muttering, allowed her to lead him through the entrance.
Marguerite sighed and hoisted the now sleeping Rosie higher on her hip. At the slight disturbance, the baby stuck her two middle fingers in her mouth and sucked noisily.
"Would you like me to carry her?" John offered. His voice was full of tenderness.
"That's all right." Marguerite smiled down at her youngest daughter and kissed her soft curls, breathing in her sweet baby smell. "I want to hold her for a while."
Roxton put his hand on Marguerite's other shoulder and leaned in to kiss the baby, too. He looked into his wife's eyes.
"Any regrets?" he asked.
"Not one," she said softly.
Marguerite's last pregnancy was a big surprise to them and not an altogether welcomed one. They hadn't planned on having any more children after Summer was born. Tilly had warned them that, at her age, she might have a hard time of it. And she had. But, Margaret Rose was worth it. She brought so much happiness to everyone. Even Summer, who was finally a big sister herself, showed no jealousy---well, not much, anyway.
John and Marguerite shared a contented smile, and followed after the others.
***
Inside the chamber, Ned, Veronica, Challenger, Tilly, and Edward were sitting around Summerlee, bombarding the old man with question after question, all of which he evaded, firmly stating that he would wait and answer all of their questions at the same time.
As Marguerite and Roxton walked back into R'tor's chamber, they were immediately drawn into an argument among the children.
Summer, her bottom lip stuck out, her cheeks smeared with icing and cake crumbs, was standing with her arms folded across her chest, a terrible scowl on her face.
Will and Victoria were standing facing her, a familiar look of outrage and exasperation on their faces.
Alice was standing to one side. She knew all the signs of a Roxton row, and she was deciding in which direction to run. She sighed with relief when Aunt Marguerite and Uncle John came in. Quickly, she walked away and sat down close beside her mother.
Alice had recently asked her mother why the Roxton family argued and yelled so much. They were so different from her family, who rarely raised their voices. "Don't they love each other?" she had asked. Her mother had stared at Alice as if her question was one she found hard to explain.
"Indeed they do, Sweetheart," she'd answered. "I've never seen a family who care for each other so much." She had paused, then said, "I believe that the Roxtons are very --- passionate people. Smart, brave and independent people, who feel strongly about things and are not shy about expressing those feelings." She had looked down at Alice, smiled and pulled her close. "The way they behave might be scary sometimes, but there are no better people to have around in times of trouble or times of happiness. They'll always be there when you need them." She'd laughed again. "Of course, you'll have to listen to them lecture you and put up with their "I told you so's."
Alice had laughed, too. "That's what Tori is always saying."
Now, sitting is a cave, deep under a mountain, Alice remembered what her mother had said. She sighed. She loved her friends, but she was glad that Edward was her brother and that she had her kind of parents.
Meanwhile, her friends and their parents were "discussing" a problem.
"Mommy said we could eat it when the others got here," Summer reminded them. "Well, they're here!"
"Yeah," protested Will, "but she didn't mean that you could eat it all yourself!"
"You knew what Mom meant, Summer. You're just acting like you didn't. Really, Summer, you're such a baby sometimes," Tori said haughtily, tossing her head.
"I am not a baby! I'm a big girl! Summer was enraged. Her sister knew just what buttons to push to get Summer's fiery temper to flare up.
Roxton held up his hand to Marguerite to stop her from stepping in. While Summer could beguile him with her cleverness and affection, she had never been able to manipulate him, as she did her mother, with her bad temper. He knew only too well that Summer's temper tantrum could escalate into an eruption that would ignite everyone else's temper. Summer may take after him in looks, but her temperament she got straight from her mother.
He stooped down by Summer and looked into her burning eyes. "That's enough, young lady," he said sternly. "That was very naughty of you to eat your sister's birthday cake."
The little girl glared back into her father's eyes. What she saw there was enough to give her stomach its first small squirm of guilt.
At some level, Summer knew that she had done something very wrong, but the temptation of the birthday cake sitting in the basket had been too much for her. While the others were talking to R'tor, she had pulled Alice over to sit beside the picnic basket. At first, she had only eaten a small pinch of the cake. It had tasted so good though, that the pinch soon became a chunk. Alice firmly shook her head when Summer had offered her a sticky, gooey handful. Although Alice was tempted, after the stowaway incident she didn't want to get involved in any more of her friend's escapades.
Summer didn't like her first feeling of guilt and she really didn't like the disappointed look in her father's eyes.
"I didn't eat it all," she protested, the anger leaking out of her. Then she hung her head and whispered under her breath, "And I am not a baby."
"Well, you know," Roxton said, gently, "big girls apologize when they do something wrong."
Summer looked up at him sharply. Then a grin spread across her face. She whirled around and grabbed Tori in a fierce hug. Tori yelped.
"I'm very, very, very sorry, Tori," Summer said, her voice dripping with sincerity. "I was a very naughty girl to eat your birthday cake, and I'm not going to do that any, any more. Never!"
Tori looked helplessly up at her father. He shrugged.
"Take what you can get, Victoria, my dear. Take what you can get."
Tori rolled her eyes and pushed none too gently away from Summer's boa like embrace.
"Okay, Summer," she said resignedly. "But I hope you've learned a lesson," she couldn't help adding.
But Summer ignored her and looked hopefully up at her father.
"Am I a big girl, now, Daddy?" she asked.
Roxton couldn't repress a chuckle. "You're getting bigger every day, my Little Terror," he said lovingly.
Victoria slipped her hand into her mother's.
"Four year olds are such pains, aren't they, Mother?" she signed dramatically, speaking from her lofty ten year old view.
"They do have a lot to learn," agreed Marguerite. She and Tori shared an identical smile.
Meanwhile, Will, hearing that there was still some cake left, had wasted no time in pulling the mangled remains out of the picnic basket. He was well into his second handful, when Tori saw what he was doing.
"You're not going to eat that?" she asked, looking down at the gooey mess. "It's disgusting!"
Will shrugged his shoulders. "Still tastes good," he mumbled with his mouth full.
Roxton took the plate from him and set on a high rocky shelf out of his reach.
"Sorry, old boy. But that cake has caused enough problems, already. Let's go sit with the others."
Roxton was still a little concerned about how digestible his wife's cake would prove to be for the children. He had lived through not a few upset stomachs while she was learning to cook. "Have to keep an eye on those two," he thought to himself.
The Roxtons found seats on the floor beside the others. The children were given a drink and Rosie woke up long enough to have a bottle. Then the three little Roxtons snuggled into the soft cushions and fell sound asleep.
While this was going on, Summerlee and Veronica were deep in conversation.
"I missed you so much, Arthur. I felt that I had lost another member of my family."
"You know, I always had a special place in my heart for you, my dear. You remind my so much of my late wife. When I first met her, she had long, golden hair just like yours." He looked at her with true affection. Then he smiled.
"Strange, I see that your hair is now a lovely shade of red, and you have changed your, how should I say this? Ah, wardrobe Yes, you look very much like a bonny, Irish lass." He chuckled at his own wit.
"My, my," he continued. "If I had known that you and Alice were dressing up, I would have thrown a masquerade party!" He laughed again. Then grew serious. "Tell me, dear Veronica, why have you disguised yourself?"
Veronica looked over at the children who were listening in fascination to their conversation. She squirmed uncomfortably.
"It was necessary that - " she coughed, "that I change my looks so that-" She cleared her throat, "so that I wouldn't be recognized."
"I see," Summerlee said slowly. "Just like Alice."
Veronica whipped her head around to stare at him.
Seeing that everyone was settled, he slapped his knees and began. "If everyone is ready, I'll tell you why I brought you all here."
He looked around at the assembly. He couldn't help smiling with joy. "My, it is wonderful to have you all here," he beamed. "I didn't realize just how lonely I was."
They smiled back at him. They, too, were feeling as if their little circle was, at last, complete.
Veronica, with an effort, regained her poise and spoke up.
"Arthur, why don't you first tell us how you came to be here," she suggested. "I don't think we can concentrate until our curiosity is satisfied."
"Hear, hear!" agreed Challenger. Marguerite and Roxton nodded.
Summerlee signed resignedly. "Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to postpone our discussion for a little while. But, mind you, we mustn't put it off too long."
The adults settled more comfortably into the pillows they were sitting on and the older children sat beside each other between their parents. The children were curious to hear how their parents knew the Sw'atee king. Edward, since Alice had whispered the news to him, was especially keen to hear about the time he lived in their treehouse.
"There is one thing I want to tell you right away," Arthur began. "The reason I haven't contacted you in all these years is that I didn't remember anything about my life with you until about a fortnight ago."
"What happened, Arthur, that you couldn't remember us?" asked Ned.
"All in good time, Ned. All in good time," the old man said. He was tickled to see that Ned's reporter instincts were just as sharp as ever.
"Now,' he said, cocking his head towards the children, "have you told the children about our adventures on the plateau?"
The five other explorers looked guiltily at each other.
"Well, not everything," Veronica told him, her voice full of meaning. She caught his eye and tried to convey to him that the subject was one that was best left alone.
He nodded slowly. "Ah, I see." He thought for a moment. "They will have to know about Tribune and my last encounter with him. I hope that won't be a problem?"
The parents consulted each other with their eyes, while the children's eyes were wide with curiosity.
Marguerite was the one who answered him.
"We think it would be okay, Arthur, if you really think it's necessary."
He nodded and began to tell the children, with the others putting in forgotten details, the adventure that ended with the stand at the swinging bridge over the deep river ravine.
The children listened to him, riveted, as, for the first time, they heard about how their parents and grandparent fought one of the more dangerous tribes on the plateau. When they heard the part where the men were sent plunging into the river far below, they clung tightly to their parents, glad that everyone was here, safe.
"Now then," he finished. "I'll tell you my story from that point on, and, at a later date, you can tell me yours."
"Excuse me, sir," Edward interrupted, "but could you tell us more stories about the adventures you and our parents had before we were born? I think our parents forgot to tell us those stories."
His sarcasm was not lost on the adults.
Summerlee, who had understood Veronica's unspoken message earlier, shook his head.
"Sorry, my boy. You see, I wasn't around for long, and I didn't participate in all the adventures."
At the children's disappointed looks, he said, "I'm sure your parents will tell you all you need to know when the time is right."
Edward flopped down on the cushion and shook his head resignedly at the two girls. "Well, I tried," he muttered.
Summerlee's five old friends were really curious to know how he had escaped death from, not only the fall, but also from the arrow wound in his stomach.
They all shifted into more comfortable positions as Summerlee began his story.
"Well, after I was shot, I remember falling helplessly into the river far down in the gorge. Somehow, I was able to surface and grab on to a floating branch. I floated along with an arrow sticking out of my middle thinking that I had reached my end at last. I was surprisingly calm, and I managed to pull the arrow from my wound. It didn't bleed much or hurt. Maybe the cold water of the river was the reason. I was just thinking that I might come out of this all right, when I heard the waterfall ahead of me. I knew, then, that I wouldn't make it after all. I shut my eyes tightly and prayed. The river moved me faster and faster, bringing me closer and closer to sure death. Water covered my head as I felt myself sweep over the waterfall."
He paused, remembering that frightening experience. It was hard for those listening to him, too.
"You needn't go on if you'd rather not, old boy," Challenger told his friend, compassionately.
"No, no, George. I think I need to tell you what happened to me." He laughed bleakly. "I haven't been able to tell anyone yet, you see. And they do say it's healthy to talk about things like this. I will finish my story."
He sat silently for a moment and, then, continued with a deep sigh.
"Now, this is the strange part. Instead of going over the long fall and onto the rocks at the bottom, I fell through the water and landed on a ledge behind the waterfall. I didn't realize at that time that this ledge was the doorstep of a cave. I landed very hard on my back, yet I felt no pain. At that time, I think I was more dead then alive. I was just conscious enough to see these pale people, angels, as I thought, float out of the rock wall. They lifted me up, as if I weighed nothing at all, and carried me inside. I must, then, have lost consciousness. It wasn't until much later that I understood that they had cured my fever and healed my wounds. All but my legs, I'm afraid. You see, the fall broke my spine and I have been confined to this chair ever since."
At their horrified looks, he hastened to reassure them. "I am in no pain, thank heavens, and two of the Sw'atee take care of my needs. Like I told you, they are a very kind and generous race."
He smiled at the Sw'atee who were sitting quietly on either side of him, and then he turned back to his guests.
"When I regained consciousness, my memory of the recent past was quite gone. I remembered my name and my life in London, but I didn't have the vaguest notion how I gotten inside a cave deep under some mountains. I will tell you that it was hard for me to accept the situation. I was not a very nice person, I'm afraid."
He gave an embarrassed chuckle.
" I demanded that they take me to the nearest transport. Of course, they couldn't understand what I was saying, which only made me angrier. I'm afraid that I fell into quite a depression, what with my paralysis and frustration. In fact, I became quite mad! I can remember ranting and raving at these poor people."
He paused.
"The puzzling part was that they treated me, a crippled, mad, old man, with such reverence," he said slowly.
He shook his head at the memory.
"It was quite a long time before I was coherent enough to try to talk to them. Their language was very hard to learn because they communicate with little sound. They speak a whispering language, you know. However, we can communicate quite well now" he said with satisfaction.
"I didn't find out why they were so kind to me until I had mastered enough of their language to understand K'mer, the storyteller's, words. It was only then I came to understand that they thought I was their ancient king, fallen from the mountaintop! I tried to tell them that I was no king, but they would not accept this." He shook his head in remembered frustration. "What was one to do?"
"You see, these beautiful, kind people don't live very long. They live only long enough to see their children reach adulthood, about thirty years. Many, many years ago, the Sw'atee lived in the mountain meadows. Their gentle nature made them an easy target for the dinosaurs and fierce tribes that began to appear on the plateau. They were soon close to extinction.
In their village, at that time, was a Sw'atee king who was revered for his intelligence and inventiveness. This man was further honored because he was approaching his fortieth year, an age never before know in all their history. As he saw their numbers dwindle and realized that they would soon lose the battle for their very existence, he climbed up the mountain and sent down a great rockslide that swept away everything in its path. When the stones, trees, and boulders stopped falling, the opening to a cave was revealed. The people waited and watched, but their king never came down from the mountain. In the end, the Sw'atee moved into the cave where they were safe from dinosaurs, apemen, cannibals and other tribes who had threatened them. They finally came to realize the gift their king had given them.
They have lived in these caves for many hundred years. When I fell right at their front door, as it were, and because of my advanced age, they claimed I was that legendary man -- their ancient king."
Chuckling, this time quite happily, he winked at the children.
"Now here is a very bizarre coincidence," he said. "As soon as I had recovered from my injuries, and, even though I did not yet understand their language, I had introduced myself as Arthur Summerlee."
At their puzzled looks, he sighed and leaned forward.
"Don't you see?" he explained patiently. "When K'mer was telling me this story, I learned that their king's name was R'tor Sw'atee!"
The new King of the Sw'atee leaned back in his chair and laughed. "I finally understood why they treated me so well."
The children looked at each other and smiled. It made sense, now. They understood the connection between their parents' old friend and their friend R'tor.
"That is quite a coincidence, Arthur," agreed Roxton, after a few seconds. He hadn't caught on as quickly as the children. "But, please, tell us about these remarkable caves." He smiled over at his friends. "After all, we spent a good deal of our time exploring caves when we were looking for a way off of the plateau."
They all laughed and looked at each other with knowing glances.
"Right you are, John. How well I remember those days!" Arthur's laugh was quite jolly. Reuniting with his friends had raised his spirits and made him feel years younger.
He turned his gleaming eyes to his old friend.
"I think you will find this particularly interesting, George. The cave system on the plateau is all interconnected! My friends have been exploring and mapping these caves for over two hundred years and have never found the end of it. The Forever Caves, as they call them, must travel under the whole mountain range. The caves open into every part of the plateau. The Sw'atee control these openings and can close them at will.'
George stroked his beard thoughtfully. "That would explain many of our strange adventures."
The others nodded in agreement.
Summerlee settled back and continued his tale.
"About ten years ago, when the danger first appeared, the people on the plateau were unprepared for its growing power. They tried to deal with it in their usual way, but it didn't work. Slowly the tribes and villages were decimated. Many of their people and animals were taken and even whole villages disappeared. No one and nothing was safe. About two years ago, the tribes came to the Sw'atee to ask if they could live in the caves to escape the terror. Even tribes that were once the Sw'atee's enemies begged for a place in the Forever Caves. The Sw'atee invited them all in, even the worst of them, and they have all found a place of safety here. The one law that is strictly enforced is no violence amongst the guests. So great is the fear of the danger, that no one is willing to be turned out."
He shook his head. "The danger is getting worse, I'm afraid. The Sw'atee tell me that miles of the jungle have disappeared. The danger has created a spinning vortex in the middle of the plateau that is sucking in any animal, dinosaur, or person who gets too near. It is drawing the plateau into itself. If we don't find a way to stop it, some day the whole plateau may disappear!"
Roxton now understood why the mountains appeared so much closer then they had been. They actually were closer.
"Good lord!" Challenger exclaimed. "We had no idea that things had gotten so bad.
The others nodded and looked at each other in concern and fear.
Of course, fear always triggered temper in Marguerite.
"So, Arthur," she said, impatiently. "I'd like to know why you didn't contact us as soon as you regained your memory?"
"I tried to, my dear! I sent the Sw'atee through the caves to find you. They opened caves all over the plateau and put themselves in considerable danger to search for you, but never saw any of you. I was very puzzled and began to wonder if you all had made it off the plateau after all or, heaven forbid, you had been taken by the danger. When they told me about meeting some children near our old treehouse, I immediately arranged to talk to them.
"It was only after I had questioned them that I realized that they were yours. Imagine my surprise!"
"Well, why did you tell them not to tell us about talking to you?" Veronica was becoming upset, too.
Summerlee's voice became hard, the voice of a king.
"I had just received some very startling information, something that my Sw'atee had uncovered from a cave deep inside the mountain, and I wasn't sure that it would be safe for me to contact you at that time. The information was very - unsettling and I puzzled over it for several days before I could figure out what I now think is its meaning."
He laughed mirthlessly.
"I got it wrong the first time, but, now, I believe that I understand what we need to do and your children are vital to a successful outcome."
Ned frowned and looked at Roxton. He could tell that Summerlee's cryptic explanation wasn't sitting well with him, either.
" Stop, Arthur!" Ned broke in. "You might understand, but we're still in the dark. You told our children that they were important in removing the danger from the plateau, and we need to know more about this. We've spent ten years trying to shield our children, to keep them safe from harm, and now you appear and tell us that they'll be exposed to the most deadly force ever to appear here."
He shook his head. "If what you tell us about the danger is true, then we adults will do everything in our power to help get rid of it, but we won't jeopardize our children's safety or peace of mind."
Veronica squeezed his arm in support.
"Ned's right, Arthur," Roxton said. "We want our children to grow up without having to deal with the dangers we faced when we came to the plateau or the trauma that Veronica experienced when she was a child. We won't have them put in danger."
The three children had been having a whispering conversation. Before Roxton could continue, Victoria jumped up.
"Wait a minute, Dad. I'd like to say something."
"Victoria," warned Marguerite.
"No, Mom. This is important." She looked down at Edward and his sister. "I'm speaking for all of us kids." She nodded at Will and Summer as they sat up, knuckling the sleep out of their eyes.
She motioned for them stand beside her. Will and Summer looked at their big sister curiously but knew better than to protest when Tori had that look on her face. Alice and Edward jumped up and stood shoulder to shoulder. Alice had an unaccustomed frown between her eyebrows.
The adults had never seen Victoria looking quite so determined.
"We kids have been hearing things today that you've never told us before. R'tor talked about places and people on the plateau that we've never even known existed. It's not fair! We children were born on the plateau," she said, moving her hand to include all of the other children, including Rosie who had just woken up. "The plateau is our home and we always assumed that we'd be living here all of our lives -- you've never told us anything differently. Now, I've seen that the plateau is beautiful outside of the electric fence and we children should be able to live in all of our world, just as you once did." She glared around at the adults. "You haven't been honest with us!"
"Don't be so melodramatic, Tori," Challenger huffed, guilt making his voice gruff. "We would have told you when the time was right."
"We just wanted you all to be safe, sweetheart," Marguerite explained. Inwardly, she berated herself. How stupid they had been not to realize there would be consequences to their decision to keep the children isolated. Although, it had seemed the only choice at the time.
Roxton tried to speak in a reasonable voice, "Our wish has always been to give you a happy, normal childhood, free from worry and danger."
Victoria would have none of it. She put her hands on her hips and raised her voice.
"How can our childhood be normal if you keep us penned up like prisoners? How can we be free from danger if we don't know what the danger is? We felt safer when you taught us to throw a spear and shoot a gun, but, from what R'tor has told us, I don't think a spear or a gun will have any affect on the real danger."
The other children nodded. They, too, were becoming indignant. Tori rolled on.
You've been saying that you want to keep us safe. How can we ever be safe with this danger on the plateau? R'tor told us that we kids can help get rid of this danger if we act now. We can't wait until we grow up. There might not be a plateau by then. What kind of future would we have then?" She paused to draw breath. "So, the way we see it, we have no choice. We have to do it." She looked at her mother's worried face. "Don't you see?" she pleaded, "The plateau is our home, the only home we'll ever have. Isn't home worth fighting for?
Roxton rubbed his chin.
"Well, Tori, you've made an interesting case."
Tori grinned at the other children.
"However," her father continued, raising a cautionary finger. "That doesn't mean that we agree with you. We'll talk it over and decide on the best course of action."
Victoria's face fell. Edward elbowed her and leaned in to whisper, "They'll agree, you'll see."
"Is there a safe place for the children to play while we discuss this? " Veronica asked Arthur.
"But of course, my dear. The Sw'atee children have quite a large play chamber. I'm sure the children will have a wonderful time there."
Tilly looked at George and said. "I will go with the children."
"Now, wait a minute, Tilly," Challenger protested. "We'll need your wise counsel to help us decide on a course of action."
"George is right, Tilly," Roxton interjected. "We need you here."
"Have no fear, Mrs. Challenger. The Sw'atee have excellent teachers. The children will be well cared for," Summerlee assured her.
"But---but, Arthur," Marguerite stammered. "We can't just send them off with strangers. For one thing, the children won't be understood. The Sw'atee don't speak English!"
"Oh, but they do! Well, at least some of them do. English is taught to the children, although it is very hard for them to learn. Oh, not the language itself, but speaking it aloud. They find it very funny," Summerlee chuckled.
"Oh, please let us go, Mommy," pleaded Summer. "Please! I need to play."
Marguerite glanced over at Veronica, who slowly nodded in reluctant agreement.
"Okay, you can all go." She aimed a stern look at her children. "But no trouble -- understand?"
Suddenly remembering about his wife's cake the children had eaten, Roxton cleared his throat and said quietly to his son, "How are you and Summer feeling, Will? No tummy aches, eh?"
Marguerite heard him anyway, and she raised one questioning eyebrow at him.
Will said, "No, Dad. We're fine."
"What---?" Marguerite began.
"Nothing, nothing, dear," Roxton hastened to say. "Just checking up on the little tykes."
She was distracted from Roxton's odd behavior by the arrival of two Sw'atee.
The children hurriedly put on their backpacks. They were excited.
The female Sw'atee stepped forward to stand in front of Marguerite who was holding the baby tightly in her arms. Confronted by this stranger, Marguerite suddenly had second thoughts about letting her precious children out of her sight. She stared at the pleasant looking woman with apprehension.
"I am Ry'see. I am the infant teacher," the pale woman said quietly. Marguerite could see that it was an effort for her to move her lips.
"What is your baby's name?"
Marguerite smiled down at her youngest child. "Her name is Rose," she said.
Rosie, hearing her name, clapped her hands and bounced in her mother's arms.
Ry'see smiled. "My baby is called By'too. He is a year old. He and Rose will be happy to play together."
Marguerite smiled back at her. She was surprised to feel an instant trust in this woman. She nodded her head slowly as she said, "I do believe they will."
"Rosie," Marguerite whispered in Sw'atee. "Ry'see will take you to play with her son. Mommy and Daddy will come to see you soon."
Ry'see looked at her with surprise, but was stopped from asking her how she had learned the Sw'atee language when Rosie squealed and practically jumped into her arms.
Both women laughed at the baby's enthusiasm.
Meanwhile, the other children were meeting the man who would be taking charge of them. He was different from the Sw'atee they had met already. He spoke English very well and in a strong voice. He smiled often and even laughed out loud. He talked for a few minutes with the children and then turned to Ned, Veronica, and Roxton to tell them a little bit about the educational system of the Sw'atee. To the anxious parents, the gentle guidance and the encouragement of individual interest that earmarked the Sw'atee philosophy in both education and play reassured them that their children would be in good hands.
The Roxtons and Malones couldn't help showing their apprehension, though. They had never left their children with anyone but Grandma Tilly and so were naturally anxious about leaving them with these strangers. Only Arthur's reassurance and the good impression they had gotten from the two teachers kept them from changing their minds about letting the children go.
The children were waiting impatiently by the doorway. They couldn't wait to play with some new children. This whole day had been an eye-opener to them. They had heard more about their parent's past---exciting, mysterious past--- today then they had ever heard before. The older three children were bursting to ask more questions now that the information floodgate had been opened, but they also realized that now was not the time. They would wait, but then they wanted to know everything.
Edward watched his parents' faces. He could tell that they were waffling about letting them go. He sighed in exasperation and leaned back against the wall. Suddenly, he remembered something and, with a smile, shrugged off his backpack, grabbed it by its straps, and carried it over to R'Tor.
"Excuse me, R'tor," he said. Arthur, who had been talking to his Sw'atee companions, turned and smiled at the young boy.
"Yes, Edward."
Edward spoke hesitantly. "I---that is---we, Alice and me, planted those seeds you sent to us."
Arthur sighed. "Thank you very much, my boy. I hope you and Alice weren't too disappointed when they didn't sprout."
Edward frowned at him. "But, they did sprout, R'tor. The plants grew really fast! My Mom said they were the strangest looking plants she'd ever seen!"
Edward wasn't hesitant, now. He plopped his backpack down and unbuckled the straps. Turning it upside down, he shook it hard and out fell a good size pile of withering, freakish-looking plants.
Summerlee's mouth dropped open in astonishment.
"By God!" Arthur exclaimed, "but this is wonderful! Who could have guessed you'd have such success?"
If Arthur was happy to see the plants, the Sw'atee around him were ecstatic. With much whispering and gesturing they moved to stand around the pile. Even the two teachers stopped their conversations to smile widely at Edward's gift.
Edward and the others were astounded and confused at the reception the plants were receiving. Roxton excused himself and turned to Summerlee.
"What's happening, Arthur? You'd think that Edward had brought them the Hope diamond."
"Oh, these plants are much more valuable, John. We thought that we'd never see them grow again."
"What kind of plants are they, Arthur? I've never seen one quite like these." Challenger peered closely at the pile. His curiosity tempted him to pick one up, but seeing the proprietary look on the faces of the Sw'atee, he only looked.
"Well, George," Summerlee began. His voice took on his lecture cadence. "This plant, that the Sw'atee call t'balee, is a staple of their diet. They found this plant growing in the caves when they moved in over two hundred years ago. The plant is peculiar in that it doesn't need sunlight." He rubbed his knuckle across his mustache. "At least that is what we always thought. After the last harvest, over a year ago, the t'balee stopped growing in the caves. The Sw'atee tried planting it up in the mountain meadows, by waterways, in snow, in sand, in peat---nothing worked. We have been rationing the remaining t'balee, but, I'm sorry to say, we have only a few months supply left. The Sw'atee have been in despair because this plant has many special properties that the Sw'atee have become accustomed to."
He paused thoughtfully.
"We will, of course, need to determine why the plants grew so well in Veronica's garden when they would grow nowhere else, but, in the meantime, the seeds from Edward's crop may be just what we need to be able to grow our own crops once again."
As Summerlee finished speaking, everyone stood quietly gazing down at the treasured pile.
Marguerite was the first to break the silence. Something Summerlee had said caught her attention.
"Just what kind of "special properties" do these plants possess, Arthur?" she asked. Her mouth quirked up on one side and her voice held only the slightest hint of acquisitiveness.
"Dear Marguerite. Still on the hunt for treasure, I see."
"Not at all, dear Arthur," she said blandly. "I have my treasures, I just want to hear about yours."
Summerlee was slightly taken aback, but the others grinned. Marguerite wasn't quite as easy to goad as she had been.
He closed his eyes and bowed his head to her in silent apology. How he'd missed them. It was as if they were all back in the treehouse once again.
He signed. "Well, now, of course you do, my dear. However, the properties of this plant are a closely guarded secret known only to the Sw'atee. As far as I can determine, they are the only tribe on the plateau who have cultivated this species of flora and understand its importance."
He squinted his eyes at his old friends and then slowly nodded.
"Under the circumstances, however, I, as King of the Sw'atee, think it is necessary to share this secret with you. But you must promise that you'll tell no one else about this. Promise?"
He peered down his nose at the children.
Will startled at the sudden scrutiny. He hastily crossed his heart with his finger.
The other children chorused, "Yes, sir."
"Good," Summerlee said, satisfied.
He cleared his throat. "Now to begin. This wondrous plant is composed of five parts and each of the five parts has a different property."
He was momentarily distracted by Summer, who began to count her fingers.
"One. Two. Three---"
Victoria bumped her little sister with her hip. "Shush," she whispered fiercely.
Summer scowled at her sister and crossed her arms over her chest.
"Ahem," Arthur coughed. "As I was saying, each part of the plant has a different property. Let me show you what I mean."
He motioned for someone to hand him a plant. Ever so reverently, he held it up for them to see.
The plant was about six inches tall. Long, stringy, white roots hung like a beard from the bottom. The stalk was an orange color with red veins running down its length. Jutting out of the stalk were three short, thin twigs, each one topped by a trio of gray, pointy leaves. At the top, the stalk branched out into five separate stems. Each of the stems was crowned with a round, yellow knob.
Victoria and Marguerite exchanged a grimace. It was not a thing of beauty.
"Ewww!" Will muttered under his breath.
Even Alice couldn't think of anything nice to say about it.
Summerlee grinned at their reaction.
"Not very appealing to look at, I grant you," he said. "But, speaking as a botanist, it is the most remarkable plant I have every seen. I'm sure you'll think so too when I have told you its secret."
"Okay, okay, Arthur. You've build up the suspense quite enough. Get on with it, will you." Challenger was almost dancing with impatience.
"Of course, George," Arthur smiled. Just as curious as ever, he thought.
"Now then," he said again, gathering them all in with his eyes, "I will start at the bottom and make my way upward." He laid the long, white roots over his palm. "The roots of this plant have many culinary uses. They are used primarily as a salad ingredient, but are also used as what Europeans would call noodles. Boiling the roots produces a drink that the Sw'atee think is most delicious."
Summerlee stopped and drew a deep breath in through his nose and blew it out of his mouth.
"All right---here goes. The secret of the root is that it is responsible for sharpening one's vision. Once you have ingested the root, in whatever way, your eyesight becomes quite incredibly good. You can see great distances and in sharp detail. Why, one can almost see around corners!"
The children widened their eyes at that, but the adults chuckled.
Marguerite laughed. "Pack up a dozen roots for me, Arthur. You all know how much "super-vision" my lot needs," she punned.
"Good one, Marguerite," Veronica applauded. "And I guess if George ate that root, he would become a true "visionary".
Challenger snorted. Tilly giggled.
Roxton rose to the occasion, if somewhat pitifully. "Eat that root and you wouldn't have to leave home to go sightseeing," he ventured.
Marguerite groaned and smacked him on the arm.
Now, everyone was laughing. The younger children didn't quite understand the joke, but that didn't stop them from joining in. Alice had to bang Will on the back when his laugh went down the wrong pipe.
"Enough, enough!" shouted Ned, still chuckling. "Let Arthur continue."
"Oh my," Arthur gasped, wiping the tears out of his eyes. "I have missed this."
Ned cocked his eye at his old friend and asked, "Is there any way you could speed up this revelation, Arthur? Is the end in sight?" he finished with a grin.
"Okay, you're right, Ned. This could go on all day." Summerlee held up his hand to get the group's attention.
"Now, there is one more thing I'd like to mention about the roots and that is, if you seep them in water instead of boiling them, the resulting cold brew produces the "magic water" that I used to communicate with the children. I don't pretend to know how it works, but if I look in the water from here, I can see and hear anyone who is looking in the water in another place. Quite remarkable."
"Indeed it is," agreed Challenger. "I'd like to try that brew!"
"Blue what, Grandpa?" Summer asked innocently.
Summerlee groaned. "In order to avoid another episode of bad puns, I'll quickly describe the other four properties, and then the children can be on their way."
Moving his finger up the plant, Summerlee pointed to the odd colored stalk.
"The precious seeds are removed from inside the stalk and then it is mashed into a pulp. The pulp is dried, ground, and made into bread. The Sw'atee carry this bread with them everywhere, for it gives them great strength and endurance when they need it."
He quickly went on before anyone could say anything.
"That brings us to the leaves. We chew them. They are the secret of the Sw'atee's speed." His finger moved higher. "These five fleshy stems at the top are full of juice. The bud on the top of the stem acts like a stopper, a very tight and necessary stopper, too, I might add. Once it is popped off, the juice is carefully poured out into flasks that have been lined with the skin of the plant. Great care must be taken not to spill it, for it makes anything it touches or anyone who drinks it quite invisible for a short period of time!"
"Incredible," Challenger murmured.
The old man nodded.
"And now we come to this remarkable yellow bud. I grant you, it doesn't look like much," he said, holding up the little ball between his thumb and finger. "but it is very potent."
"What does it do, R'tor?" asked Edward, wide-eyes with interest.
Summerlee winked at the boy.
"Well, Edward, I'm not sure exactly how to describe its special property. I suppose I could say that it gives one the power of kinetic energy ruled by the conscious mind.
"Come again, Arthur?" Ned said, frowning.
"I think I know what he's talking about," Challenger said slowly, but with excitement building in his voice. "Kinetic energy? Ruled by the mind? Are you saying, Arthur, that that little---bean can give one the power to move an object just by thinking one wants it to move?"
"Indeed, George. With this little bean, as you call it, the Sw'atee can clear large boulders from cave-ins. They can pull a bird from the sky." He cocked his head and peered slyly at his friends. "Or even a balloon."
Roxton and Marguerite shared a startled glance.
"How do you activate this bean, Arthur?" Veronica asked. "Do you eat it or drink it?"
"Neither, my dear. You stick it in your ear."
"What?" they all chorused.
"You---stick it---in---your ear," Arthur repeated slowly.
Veronica shook her head and laughed. "Really, Arthur. You had us going for a minute there." She stood up. "Gather up your backpacks, children. It's time to go."
"Don't you believe him, Mom?" Alice asked. She was totally puzzled. R'tor was the king. He wouldn't lie.
"Arthur was just teasing us, Alice. No one puts beans in their ears."
Alice glanced over at Summer to see if she was going to let that one pass, but she had taken her Dolly out of her pocket and was showing it to Ry'see.
After much kissing and hugging, the children marched out of R'tor's chamber behind the slowly moving teachers. Marguerite reached for John's hand as her children disappeared down the passageway. With a deep sigh, they walked over to sit with the others.
Just as they sat down, they heard running footsteps and turned around to see Edward skid to a stop just inside the chamber. He grinned in embarrassment as he stooped down beside Arthur's chair and picked up his forgotten backpack. He threw it over one shoulder and had turned to leave when he changed his mind and flung his arms around the old man's neck, instead. Surprised, Arthur hugged him back.
"I believe what you said about the plant, R'tor," Edward whispered.
"Thank you, my boy," he answered, gruffly.
Edward let him go, mumbled "Sorry" to his parents, and scurried out. The last thing he heard before he was out of earshot was R'tor saying, "Now, let me tell you what we've discovered."
Edward ran pell-mell down the passageway to catch up with the others. His mind was as busy as his feet as it sorted through all of the new information he had learned. However, the battle against the danger was uppermost in his thoughts. He didn't think victory would be too difficult. He, Will, and Atoo often played knights and dragons (Atoo called it warriors and dinosaurs). Atoo was usually the dragon, since he thought that was the strongest and bravest part. And, Edward admitted to himself, Will had the cleverest ideas on how to fool the dragon and lead him into their trap. But Edward knew that it was his imagination (gotten from his father, he had been told) that made the game so interesting and fun. From all of the bits and pieces of all of the books he had read, he could build stories and scenarios that sometimes took days for the boys to play out. Tori often played with them. She played the princess who was caught by the dragon and needed to be rescued. The only trouble with that was that Tori got so cranky and uncooperative and complained that Atoo was always dragging her around and making her hide behind damp bushes or dirty rocks. She always ended up insisting that she wanted to be a knight, too. Edward shook his head at her unreasonable attitude. Who ever heard of a girl knight? As much as Edward admired Tori, he secretly thought that Alice and Summer made much better damsels in distress. They would sit anywhere Atoo put them, playing with their dolls, and chatting, and singing. Edward grinned as he remembered how mad Atoo got when their singing got so loud that he and Will had no trouble finding and rescuing them before Atoo got back to his lair.
Yes, Edward thought, he and Will were experienced knights. Getting rid of the danger should be as easy as capturing the dragon. Swiftly following that thought, the sensible, realistic side of Edward (gotten from his mother, he was told) made him shift his shoulders uneasily. Well, he admitted, maybe it would be a little harder what with swirling vortexes and storms and earthquakes and all.
So busy was he with his thoughts that it wasn't until too late that he realized the danger he was in. The loose straps from his backpack had somehow managed to get between his feet. He took several stumbling steps forward as the tangle tripped him up and sent him painfully to his knees.
With a grunt of pain, and a hiss of exasperation, he knelt on the rocky floor of the passage and roughly pulled his backpack off. He was mad at himself. It seemed that the only time he got hurt was when his mind was miles away from his body. He frowned and began to re-buckle the treacherous straps. To further annoy him, one of the straps was stuck inside the biggest pocket. Muttering in frustration, he jammed his hand in to free it. His fingers felt something round and soft at the bottom.
Edward gave a shout of alarm, jerked his hand out and dropped the satchel on the floor.
"Bloody hell, it's a snake!" he exclaimed and then looked about quickly to make sure no one was around to hear him use his Uncle John's favorite cuss words.
Cautiously, he stood up, picked up his pack by the sides and, holding it out at arms lengths, shook it hard. Nothing fell out. Edward took a deep breath and shook the pack even harder. He jumped back as something landed softly on the floor. Well, at least it wasn't a snake, he thought with relief as he saw five, small t'balee plants lying there. His relief turned quickly to exasperation. Now he would have to go all the way back to the chamber to give them to R'tor.
With a sigh, Edward picked up the t'balee from the floor, but instead of putting them back into his backpack, he stared thoughtfully at the disgusting looking plants. His sharp mind quickly ran through all of the things Arthur had told them. He stood thinking for a moment and then, making up his mind, he carefully stuffed the plants back into his backpack, buckled the straps securely and started running down the passageway in the direction of the playroom.
He wouldn't be giving these plants to R'tor after all. He had a plan.
(TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 4)