Roland's Castle

  Chapter 15

  They were headed toward the lighthouse at great speed. Beyond it they could see the vast opening of the harbour mouth and through it stars —hundreds —thousands — millions of stars. As they passed the lighthouse there was a hissing, rushing sound and they felt a strong breeze all about them.

  “They must be letting the air out!” Cried Roland.

  The rushing air helped to speed them out onto the surface. They saw immediately that the lunar sky was starkly divided into a dark area, full of stars, and an area of blue sky which was like that on earth. Both parts were separated by a line that arched across the sky. The area of blue sky was in the distance and the other ships were headed for it.

  As they were puzzling over all this a small bright object came rushing over their heads from behind. It was so close that they ducked, although it had already passed before they did so.

  “What was that!?” Oliver cried as they watched it pass over the other ships to disappear behind some rocks in the far distance.

  “I don’t know,” said Roland. “Lets try not to get in the way of one.”

  They caught up the other boats which were all forming into a line. The trio’s boat joined one end of it. In front of the line of boats were two other boats, each of which had a different coloured flag on it.

  “What’s going on?” Roland asked.

  “I know what this is!” Oliver said, “They’re captains picking teams!”

  Each of the captains took it in turns, selecting from the ships in front of them by pointing. As each ship was picked its pushers pushed it around to join its team behind its captain.

  The friends waited, wondering if they would be picked, but all of the others were chosen and they remained, now alone, one unwanted ship and its crew with all the chosen crews staring across at them.

  “Do we get to play at all?” Savitri asked.

  The team who had the last pick started to wave and shout at them impatiently, gesturing for them to come over. Clearly they were expected to join it as a matter of course. Oliver looked down at the boat pushers and cried, “Yee-hove-hee!”

  The pushers responded by crying “Yee-hove-hee!” and pushed them over to join their team.

  The ships of both teams now started to spread out across the surface. The trio’s boat followed. As they did so the captain of their team circled back and came level with their boat. The captain leapt on board, asking, “You new to this?”

  “Yes,” said Roland.

  “Thought so! Right! The idea is to wait until an ogle appears – that’s one of the bright objects that come flying over. When one that’s coming in low enough is spotted both teams try to play it, trying to bat it with the racquet—” and he indicated the strange object that stuck out of the centre of the boat — “Only one ogle can be in play at any one time – once it’s sighted and the cry has gone up for it that’s the ogle until it goes out of play – we’ll come to that!”

  ‘When the ogle appears both teams try to get it and bat it towards the terminator —

  that’s the border between the light and the dark you see out there where the blue sky is and where the grandstands are—” and he pointed to the light blue sky in the distance —“The boats try to pass it to boats of their own team and try to keep it from boats of the other team, who are trying to intercept it. When a boat is near enough to the terminator it tries to hit the ogle so that it crosses it. When that happens it’s called a Bedern, and it’s a point for that boat’s side.

  ‘Now, you can get extra points; if three ships in the same team hit it in a row – one boat passes it to another in the same team and then that boat passes it on to another which then strikes it, that’s called a Straker. If four ships from the same team hit it in a row, that’s a Koenig. If the last boat to hit it then scores a Bedern, then that’s either a Full Straker or a full Koenig. Clear?

  ‘If the ogle simply flies into the dust and fizzles out before reaching the terminator then it’s a Lendal – no score, and we go back to the start and begin again, same as we do after a Bedern. Clear?”

  He then showed them how to use the racquet, “It swivels at the base — here — so that you can twist it around… These ropes—” and he pulled the ropes that were hanging from it “— are used to turn it to face the right way and to pull it back so that it will spring forwards and hit the ogle. If the ogle is flying high what you can do is this: when you are in the right position, and at exactly the right time you can order the err… them—” and he indicated the pushers at the side “—to stop and then toss the boat upwards into the air to enable you to strike it. Cry yee-hove-stop! to stop and then yee-hove-leap! To leap. You have to judge it fine, though!”

  “Who are these people pushing the boat?” Oliver asked.

  “Well, err, they’re called yee-hove-hees, but it’s of no consequence… Anyway, that’s how you play Ogleforth. Think you can handle it?”

  “We have to,” said Roland, “The success of our quest depends on it.”

  “I am sure we can,” said Savitri, determinedly.

  “We certainly don’t want to get locked out, anyway!” said Oliver.

  “Eh?” said the captain, “Oh, you’ve been listening to the cave-lubbers eyewash! They tell all the newbies that to incentivise them! You’d have to play very badly for that to happen!” and he winked and laughed heartily. “But I ‘m sure you’ll do good! You look young and strong! This match is a tiebreaker for the Grand Cup of the Silent Seas – which is where we are, or nearabouts anyway. We always seem to end up losing the toss and with the last boat in the selection – let’s see if you might be diamonds in the rough and surprise us!”

  With that the sound of the horn was heard again and their captain jumped back into his ship. He cried “yee-hove-hee!” and his own boat-pushers responded with the same cry, then propelled him quickly across the sand away from Roland’s boat. Roland gave the same order and his own boat glided gracefully after the captain’s.

  Soon the game was on. A cry went up and the ships all turned towards a bright flickering object coming at them from the dark horizon. One of the opposing ships was first to it but narrowly missed hitting it. The bright ball sped onwards until a ship of Roland’s team managed to. As it did a shower of sparks exploded from the racquet accompanied by a very loud, eerie twang—oiiiiiing noise that reverberated across the lunar landscape. The ogle was sent flying off towards the terminator. Several opposing ships tried to intercept it but another boat of Roland's team got to it and struck it once more. Again there was a shower of sparks and the eerie twang––oiiiiiing noise.

  “This is how you play Ogleforth!” The captain shouted at them as they joined in the chase, the ships spreading out in order to catch and hit the ogle. It was one of the opposing ships that intercepted it, again with the accompanying sparks and noise, but the boat only succeeded in striking the ogle downwards so that it bounced and scraped some rocks sending yet more sparks flying. It finally came to rest in the dust and fizzled out.

  “So that’s a Lendal,” Oliver said

  Again the ships spread out across the surface, trying to spy the next ogle. One was quickly spotted and all ships raced to it. The yee-hove-hees pushing Roland’s vessel started to push it in the same direction as the pack, but Roland gave different orders, “No – hang around behind – we might be more use!”

  He had noticed how all the ships raced towards the ogle at once but failed to provide enough cover near to the terminator, where the high points were to be scored. So Roland’s ship cruised around between the pack and the terminator, looking for their chance to receive the ogle.

  The new ogle was passed across the surface between ships of the opposing side as they scored a Koenig. But Roland's strategy paid off. He was in the right place to rush in between two of the other team’s ships as one was passing the ogle to another. Watching closely, Roland ordered the yee-hove-hees to go faster so that they ended up right in the ogle’s path. The burning ball hurtled
toward them, all its fire and fury seeming larger, more intense by the instant.

  “Stand by!” Roland yelled.

  Savitri and Oliver swung the racquet into the right position and then pulled it back and let it go at just the right time. Coming from right overhead the twang—oiiiiiing sound was deafening and they were showered with sparks like a waterfall of fire. They ducked their heads as it fell and when they looked up again they saw that they had sent the ogle speeding across the surface right to another of their team’s ships. That in turn sent it speeding ahead but it was intercepted by the other team and then fizzled out into a Lendal. Nevertheless, the trio’s boat had been pivotal in a Straker!

  “A Straker! We did it!” Oliver cried in triumph, “We can play Ogleforth!” and the three high—fived each other.

  The captain pulled up beside them again and shouted, “Keep that up and you’ll be ship of the match!”

  Soon another Ogle was spotted and the game was on yet again. Once more the other team got to it first and had most of the running, pulling off a Koenig before it was intercepted by a boat from Roland’s team. The other team then got it back again to score a Bedern.

  With the next ogle Roland’s boat was part of a Full Koenig – that excited the trio very much, but they really wanted to score a Bedern themselves. The rival team drew level again with the next ogle and it was all down to the final one.

  This time Roland decided to hang back even more than he had before. It took them close to the grandstand and some in the crowd wondered what they were doing. There were some shouts of “Get up there!” and “Play the game!” but Roland ignored them. Soon the ships of both teams were coming towards him, the ogle flying between them. The other team scored a Straker with a Full Koenig on the cards as the ogle was sent flying towards another of their ships. Yet again Roland saw his chance to

  intercept the ogle for his own team and tacked the craft sideways so as to get in its way. The only problem was that there was no member of his team near enough to pass it to. There was only one thing for it — they would have to try to score the Bedern themselves by turning the racquet so it was at an oblique angle to the incoming ogle and then striking it a glancing blow to send it across the terminator. It would be a very difficult trick to pull off — the most difficult shot imaginable and would require pin point timing.

  Roland ordered the yee-hove-hees towards the right position as Savitri and Oliver pulled on the ropes in order to get the racquet facing the right way. Roland then joined them pulling at the centre rope, still giving last minute orders to the yee-hove-hees.

  They were heading for the right place but as they watched the ogle coming towards them they realised that it was going to be too high and go over their racquet. There was no time to stop. There was no choice but to hit it on the move whilst leaping at the same time, although the captain had given no indication that it was a standard manoeuvre.

  “When I tell the yee-hove-hees to leap, get ready to let go,” Roland told Oliver and Savitri.

  With the racquet in the right position all three of them pulled back hard on it. Roland watched the ogle coming towards them and at the right time yelled “yee-hove-leap!”

  “Yee-hove-leap!” cried the yee-hove-hees, with not a thought or suggestion that they found the idea of leaping whilst moving odd.

  Still rushing along the boat was thrown high up in the air. As it rose to meet the ogle Roland yelled, “Now!” and all three of them let go of the ropes. The racquet lurched forwards and hit the ogle at a skew angle, striking it with a very loud twang––oiiiiiing and a huge shower of sparks so that it span and headed straight for the terminator. They watched it go, holding their breath for what seemed like an age, wondering if it had enough momentum. But, in its own slow time, the ogle passed across the terminator. It was a Bedern! They had scored a Bedern! The crowd in the grandstand went wild!

  Oliver noticed that both Botherworth and Goodwill were in the grandstand and actually thought he saw Botherworth hugging Brother Goodwill. He shook his head in disbelief.

  “You’ve done it!” their captain said as he came alongside again, “Diamonds in the rough you are indeed! Champions! The very champions! It is for you to accept the cup and, I don’t doubt, the award of boat of the match! An interesting new manoeuvre, that flying leap! We’ll all be practising that from now on you can be sure!”

  Proudly they mounted the stand to have the cup presented to them by the Supreme Mistress of the Lighthouse. She handed it over and Roland took his chance, telling her, “We must speak to you on an urgent matter.”

  “Very well, for such fine sportsmen I will hear anything, but first a few words for the crowd…”

  Roland turned to them, “Thanks to you all! We are visitors but are already enjoying ourselves! I hope you are happy to have us here and we are providing good entertainment!”

  The crowd cheered.

  “Thanks must go to our worthy teammates! We hold the cup but we hold it for all of them – we couldn’t have done it without them!”

  The crowd cheered all over again.

  “Thanks also to our worthy opponents – who I am told will not be locked out when the air goes in!”

  The crowd laughed and applauded at what they obviously considered a good joke

  “But thanks also needs to go also to our excellent boat—pushers, the yee-hove-hees who rushed us through the sand and leapt at just the right moment. We couldn’t have done it without….”

  Roland’s voice began to tail off. At the very mention of the yee-hove-hees there had been a sharp intake of breath from the crowd. The Supreme Mistress of the Lighthouse turned her back on him and walked off. Roland didn’t finish what he was going to say and there was no applause.

  Their captain was beside him again, “Bad move me lubber. The yee-hove-hees is mere slaves, no one may mention them or acknowledge their existence in public!”

  “That’s wrong,” Savitri said.

  “It is,” Roland said.

  “It’s the way it is,” the captain said, “The way this world is – the moon, I mean.”

  “And Earth too,” Savitri said, “Too much like it.”

  “Can we regain anything?” Roland asked in desperation, “We must speak to the Lighthouse Mistress…”

  “Perhaps if you offer a grovelling apology for mentioning such low, base and vile creatures in her presence… She may listen, given that you played so splendidly and entertained us all.”

  Despite the disastrous faux pas the friends were invited to the team victory party, which was very jolly with many hi-jinks accompanying the usual replaying of all the best bits of the match – in other words, the bits where they had been winning. Roland was sullen though. All his purpose was undone. He had won the match for the team and got the attention of the Lighthouse Mistress as planned only to have it all ripped away from him. He was also annoyed about the reason for it. The yee-hove-hees had played their part in the victory and yet they were not part of the celebrations. It was wrong and he knew he had been right to thank them, and he would have made sure they were invited to the victory party as well, if he had had anything to do with it.

  If you have to do something wrong to get a good thing done, is that right? He thought of his conversation with Bril-a-Brag. If he had known that mentioning the yee-hove-hees would undo his purpose, would he have mentioned them? He should have done, he knew, and he decided that he still would have done.

  “Is their nothing we can do?” he asked the Captain.

  “I have been sending out some feelers,” said the Captain, “We will have to see. Don’t be despondent! It may yet come right! You won us the Ogleforth cup, against all expectations! That counts for something!”

  “But we are pressed for time,” Roland said,” I have a friend who may be executed within a week.”

  “Well time is time, and it isn’t always the time we think it is – particularly not up here!”

  With that he left. Roland wondered what he had meant.


  Soon after the captain came back again, “I have spoken to a close friend who is a good friend of a friend of the Lighthouse Mistress. If you hurry, she is willing to hear you out. But beware, she will expect an apology for the affront.”

  “I am not too proud to grovel for a good cause,” Roland said, “But the yee-hove-hees – I will not apologise for standing up for them.”

  The Captain looked glum, “Well, let’s see what happens…”

  Roland was rushed down lots of passages and through many caverns — all packed to the roofs with boats — until he arrived at a grand chamber which was very long and lined with many Ogleforth boats all carefully displayed on pedestals. At the end of the chamber sat the Lighthouse Mistress, high up on a grand throne. Roland walked the length of the chamber and bowed. The Lighthouse Mistress looked down upon him.

  “I am here to apologise for any affront,” he said.

  “Your apology is accepted,” The Lighthouse Mistress said.

  “But,” Roland said.

  “But?” She asked.

  Roland was sure he could not say it. He heard the words in his head and knew he could not say them. He was sure he lacked the courage. Then he heard the words come from his own mouth, “But the yee-hove-hees should not be slaves!”

  The harbour mistress sat impassively. At least she didn’t seem angry.

  “They should not be slaves,” she agreed, “There should be no slaves at all. But there are, and what is is what is. What can I do?”

  “Free them,” Roland said.

  “It is not mine to do, but their masters. Have you never owned slaves?” she asked.

  “I thank goodness I have not,” Roland replied.

  In public I must keep up the appearance of being affronted by your behaviour, but in private I can say that you have a good heart, and commend you on it. You may go now,” she said.

  “There is something I must ask you” Roland said, summoning his full supply of courage, “We need a favour….”

  “A favour? You insult me in public, and you need a favour!”

  “Yes,” he said.

  “At least you are courageous, as well as a good sportsman. Tell me what this favour is.”

  “We are fighting a battle down on the earth and we need new sun warriors, fresh from the sun. We need to get to the sun and we need you to help us.”

  “You need a Sun Sentinel to take you. It is the only way to get to the sun, and to get safely into it.”

  “So I have been told. I am told you can summon one for us.”

  “Do you know what a Sun Sentinel is?” The Lighthouse Mistress asked him.

  “No.”

  “They are the creatures sent out by the sun to guard the very edges of light and dark. They wait in the dark for many years, watching and waiting for any sign of the forces of darkness rallying for attack. It is a lonely life… The lighthouse can be seen by them and can be used to signal them, but there is no guarantee one will respond. Because of the life they lead – the loneliness — they can be moody, avoidant. You must also know that the appearance of the Sun Sentinels can be fearful. They contain the rage of a furnace and the darkness of an abyss.”

  “We need one,” Roland said, “we will cope with it when it comes.”

  “Then we will summon one for you. You may leave now.”

  Roland was overjoyed. He had got what he wanted. He also had spoken out and not been punished or disadvantaged for it. He had done the right thing and got away with it. He had a feeling that life wasn’t always like that…. He rejoined his friends at the party.

  “How was it?” Oliver asked, “Are they are going to help us?”

  “Despite the fact that I maintained my objection to the treatment of the yee-hove-hees, they are going to summon a Sun Sentinel.”

  “Great!” said Savitri, “And well done for not caving in on your principles!”

  “How long will it take?” Oliver asked, “The clock is ticking on Firebrace.”

  Roland said, “I don’t know how long because I didn’t ask and I should have done. Blast! We could be here weeks. I should have asked and if necessary tried to get them to hurry things up a bit…”

  “You can’t think of everything –not in a situation like that,” Savitri said reassuringly, “You have done what you could.”

  At that moment the horn sounded again, in a long, long blast.

  The captain of the team announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, the mythtelling!”

  “What is this mythtelling?” Oliver asked the captain as they hurried towards the door.

  “The mythtelling is – why, it’s the mythtelling! Attendance is compulsory on pain of death!”

  “We’d better attend then,” Oliver said

  “The death penalty is another thing I have qualms about,” Roland said.

  “Lets just not push our luck, okay!” Oliver replied.