Chapter 18
At the head of only fifty sun warriors Roland stepped out of Lumenfarge to rapturous applause from all around him. The warriors did indeed look more than they were when marching in a column. Roland was embarrassed by it. He hadn’t achieved nearly what was expected of him. What he expected of himself. He held up his hands to deflect the applause.
“Welcome, welcome, welcome back!” said Goodwill profusely, rushing forwards and vigorously shaking Roland’s hand.
“You came with us you twit!” Oliver said, laughing.
“Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to offer a hearty welcome back!”
“Welcome back indeed!” said Brother Stalwart, taking Roland’s hand from Goodwill’s.
“They were all here waiting for us,” explained Oliver, “Seems like they knew we were coming!”
“A Sun Sentinel is seen long before its arrival,” said Brother Stalwart. “It’s one of those mysterious things,” and he arched his eyebrows mysteriously. “It is possible to know they are coming before they actually are! We knew it had to be good news when we heard of it!”
“Not good, I am afraid,” said Roland. “We bring only fifty sun warriors.”
“Only fifty! Stalwart said, aghast, “They look more! I hoped this was just the first tranche…”
“There are words for their lordships up in the sun that aren’t suitable for printing in a kids’ book,” said Botherworth.
“At least you are back safe,” said Stalwart.
“How long have we been gone? Roland asked.
“Only two days — barely that,” Stalwart said.
“It felt like weeks,” said Oliver.
Roland then remembered what the Ogleforth team captain had said about time not being the time you think it is.
“Anyway,” said Stalwart, “You are safely returned to earth, thank goodness. What next?”
“First we must rescue Firebrace,” Roland said, “His rescue is now imperative as our chances of winning a victory are smaller than we hoped. At the same time as we are rescuing him we can scout the defences. Has Dagarth managed to repair the latest damage yet?”
“No one has been out of the tower since you left, but I doubt it. I don’t mean to be boastful but without our skills…”
“Sounds right,” Roland said, “but we will have a look. Can you bring us some food, Brother Stalwart, then we will get to it…..”
Roland, Oliver and Savitri slipped out of the base of the tower into darkness. They looked around but could see no sign of guards. Roland looked up at the battlements. There were no sentries on duty – none that he could see. It was very mysterious. It seemed that they could wander about as they pleased. Nevertheless Roland told the others, in a whisper, “Let’s go careful and keep a watch out – and keep our voices down!”
The courtyard had become a lot more cluttered since they last saw it. There wasn’t just uncle Dagarth’s torture equipment and other bric-a-brac any more. For starters There were now five scuttlers.
“Five of them now!” Oliver exclaimed, “how on earth will we…?”
“Lets not dwell on it for the moment,” said Roland, “We have to rescue Firebrace.”
As well as the scuttlers there was now a large structure in the middle of the courtyard. It was difficult to make it out in the darkness. As they got closer to it they could see that it consisted of bodies – living human bodies contained behind bars. They got yet closer and as they did a voice called out weakly, in a whisper, “Roland! Is that you my dear boy? Is that you my dear sweet nephew? My darling boy! I was sure you would come to rescue your poor old uncle. Take pity on me – please! I beg you! Take pity!”
Roland walked up to his uncle Dagarth, who was pitifully gripping the bars that kept him captive. He really looked quite bedraggled, pathetic and in desperate need of rescue. Around him were his men, also prisoners.
Roland asked the obvious. “This may sound a silly question uncle, but what are you doing in there?”
“Please help us!” pleaded Dagarth; “The Spirus put us in here and I am sure they are going to kill us horribly after torturing us horribly first. It will all be horrible, oh woe is me!” — and he pointed pathetically at his own torture equipment — “Please get me out at least, you don’t have to worry about the others, just help me…!”
“Oi!” said a voice from behind.
“There has been a turnabout in fortunes, hasn’t there!” said Oliver.
“Where is Firebrace,” Roland demanded to know.
“Please let me out…..” Dagarth continued to plead, “Remember how I loved you, my dear sweet Roland!”
“You are thinking only of yourself, uncle, as ever. We’re not going to help you until we’ve rescued Firebrace. Where is he?”
“We left him in the cell in the gatehouse, I haven’t seen him since.”
“So he isn’t in there, with you?” Roland looked through the bars, trying to see between the men standing in the cage.
“If only he were! I swear I would beg his forgiveness,! I would willingly kiss his feet and other unpleasant parts!” wailed Dagarth, “I will give you a million groats, I will let you have the castle, the treasure, anything you like, just don’t let the Spirus torture and kill me!”
“Oh do shut up, you horrid nasty whinging wicked uncle, you,” Savitri told him, and prodded him hard in the guts with her sword.
“Let me have a go at that,” said Roland, and proceeded to prod Dagarth in the guts with his own sword.
“You can prod me in the guts all you like – with swords, lances, what have you, just let me out!” and he tugged at the bars desperately.
“Where are your partners, Bril-a-thingy and Gloaty-wotsit?” Roland asked.
“Here!” said Bril-a-Brag, and Roland saw that he was sitting down behind Dagarth.
“Are there no sentries at all,” Roland asked him. “Why not?”
Bril-a-Brag said, “The Spirus are too arrogant to think they need to guard the place any more.”
“So where are they?” Roland asked.
“Who knows,” Bril-a-Brag shrugged, “Stowed themselves away inside somewhere. Haven’t seen one since they put us in here.”
“Are you all in there – all the people, I mean?”
“Just us fighting men,” said Bril-a-Brag, “They sent the civilians away — all except for the kitchen staff. They have been kept on to feed the land surveyors. The Spirus don’t need food and we are left here to starve.”
“Where are the land surveyors?”
“The Spirus are most impressed with them as a strategic asset,” cursed Bril-a-Brag, “After I brought them in, too… They are in the great hall living it up, taking turns sitting on the throne and arguing over planning issues. They think they can change the landscape for the better…”
“Or to better themselves!” raged Dagarth, “It’s what they should be doing for me!
And those two numbskulls Booblejob and Dribblebib are loose somewhere – even the Spirus realised they’re too dim to be a danger. They’re probably eating as much as they like right now…”
Roland had heard enough from Dagarth and friends. “Can you and your soldiers at least be quiet if we mount a rescue of Firebrace? Can we trust you?”
“Better still,” said Bril-a-Brag, “We could be a distraction, if you like…”
“Distract who?” Roland asked.
“The Spirus of course.”
“There aren’t any here.”
“But if there are — when you need it — we will distract them.”
“Well, okay, if we need it.”
“We want to be of help!” wailed Dagarth.
“You want to be on our side now so you can be rescued is what you mean,” Oliver said.
“Well, yes,” Dagarth fessed up, “but we do see the error of our wicked ways, honestly. I do anyway, and I’m the one you should rescue.”
“I am sure we can find something useful for you to do uncle, even if it's just a bit of
aggressive whining.”
“Oh thank you! thank you!” he whined.
They found their way into the gatehouse and down the passage to the cell where Roland had left Firebrace just a couple of days before. The door to the cell was open — plainly the Spirus were totally unbothered by any threat from the old man. They should be more wary, Roland thought — particularly when it came to Firebrace.
The old warrior was lying on the bed, clearly very weak, but he sat up immediately when Roland entered. “Roland!” he cried, “Have we won! Is the battle over?”
“Sorry, but no,” Roland replied, “Not even begun. And I’m afraid to say we didn’t have much luck at the sun. They only let us have fifty sun warriors!”
“Just fifty!” Firebrace said, “I always knew they had little regard for us, but I did hope for more. But how come you are here, if you have not won?”
“We came to rescue you regardless. Also, there has been a bit of a change of fortunes.
The Spirus turned on Dagarth and his other allies and they are all prisoners in the courtyard…”
Firebrace threw his head back and let out a long, loud roaring laugh. The best news I have had in a long time – and the best medicine too! Told you, didn’t I! I could have told Dagarth that the Spirus are not to be trusted, but I wouldn’t have bothered as he wouldn’t have listened. Some people can only learn by experience! I’m sure he’s learned his lesson now – until the next time, of course!” and Firebrace laughed again.
Roland continued, “The Spirus aren’t bothering to guard the castle. They think they have won and that’s it. They don’t see us as a problem anymore…”
“Don’t they!” Said Firebrace defiantly, “You say there are no sentries?”
“No.”
“Good, then help me get to the tower. I could do with proper treatment. I am sure Brother Goodwill will oblige!”
Roland and Savitri helped Firebrace get on his feet. With one of them on either side he put an arm around each so they could support him. Oliver went on ahead to make sure the coast was clear. They were half way along the passage when Oliver returned.
“It looks like the scuttlers have woken up,” he said, “They have started to prowl around the courtyard as if they know something is up, like it’s feeding time. They seem a bit dozy and are only half awake but I wouldn’t like to get near them.”
When they got to the entrance the scuttlers were indeed waiting for them, like a pride of lions waiting for its quarry to emerge from its hiding place. There were faint rumblings as they slowly moved about and they were emitting low growling noises, like a creature having an angry dream.
“How do we get past them?” Roland asked.
At that moment a commotion broke out from the cage which held Dagarth and the other prisoners. They had been waiting for the rescue party to show itself at the entrance to the gatehouse and now let go with a distraction.
“It seems we are going to need them after all,” Oliver said.
“Never discount anyone,” Roland replied.
“So it seems.”
The scuttlers began to lose interest in the gatehouse and turned away to the cage.
With their attention distracted, or at least split, Roland decided it was time to take the chance. They dodged left out of the gatehouse keeping close to the curtain wall, hurrying as best they could whilst supporting an invalid. The scuttlers were attracted by the movement and started towards them, their feelers twitching whilst the rumbling of their motion shook the ground. When the prisoners saw what was happening they redoubled their noisemaking efforts and the scuttlers turned again, confused once more. The scuttlers stood in the middle of the courtyard, trying to make up their minds which to attack. The prisoners strived to make even more noise. There was a risk and Roland knew it.
“They are going to bring out the Spirus,” he said.
“Do you want them to stop?” Oliver asked.
“Not much of a choice is it,” Roland agreed.
They were now most of their way around the base of the castle wall and nearing the finished tower. At that point several Spirus poked their tin heads out of the keep to see what was going on. At first they assumed that the prisoners were just making a noise and watched in bemusement. Only slowly did it dawn on them that the scuttlers were also aware of something moving around the edge of the courtyard. At last they realised and rushed towards Roland and his fellows, calling out to others with the metallic screeching noise that Roland knew only too well.
Oliver knew he could not fight the Spirus at close quarters. He rushed back to support Firebrace in order to free up Savitri and Roland. They drew their swords and rushed forwards, quickly decapitating the few first group of Spirus. But now more were on the way.
With a phalanx of Spirus rushing after them all three now lifted Firebrace and hurried him into the base of the unfinished tower. They did their best to barricade the solid oak door then carried Firebrace up the stairs as the sound of crashing and splintering wood sounded beneath them. They were very glad to see Botherworth open the door for them.
“Are we glad to see you!” Oliver said.
“First time for everything,” said Botherworth.
They entered the hall of the Knights Fortressers with Botherworth now helping the exhausted trio to support Firebrace. They helped him into a chair with Brother Goodwill fussing about them in his usual concerned and kindly way.
“What’s the situation out there?” Brother Stalwart asked.
“We have a big problem,“ said Oliver, “There are now five scuttlers.”
“Five!” said Brother Stalwart.
“Five,” Savitri confirmed, “That we saw.”
“Thanks for pointing that out,” Oliver said.
“You’re welcome,” Savitri said.
“Yes, five that we saw,” Roland said.
“The good news,” said Savitri, “Is that Bril-a-Brag, Gloatenglorp and Roland’s uncle Yuck have been betrayed by the Spirus and are now prisoners in a cage in the courtyard. They even helped us get back here safely.”
Brother Stalwart laughed as loudly and fulsomely as Firebrace had, and even Brother Goodwill barely stifled a giggle. Firebrace laughed again.
Roland said, “The time may come when we can release them and rely on them as allies, if they see the battle turning in our favour. We cannot trust them for the moment as they could still turn against us if they see a chance.”
“Agreed,” Firebrace said to Roland, “Now, you must decide how we are to proceed in the coming battle.”
“Should I fetch the Venerable Conceiver of Strategies?” asked Goodwill.
“This time I have my own plan,” Roland said. Firebrace nodded his encouragement.
“For my plan to work,” said Roland, “We will need to move the sun warriors out onto the hill of the Scary Oak. I could ask Lumenfarge again but really don’t want to ask too much of him.”
“The problem is already solved,” said Brother Stalwart, “We envisaged the possibility of this issue arising and have widened the corridors and installed new freight lifts so that an entire army can be moved throughout the tower!”
“You did this in just two days?” inquired Oliver, slightly amazed.
“Many hands,” said Stalwart, “ – and industrious ones.”
“And you didn’t even have Goodwill to make you tea,” said Savitri, with a wink at him. He laughed.
“This is fine!” said Roland, “Excellent. Thank you! Good work all around! Now,” he said, with despondency creeping back into his voice, “All we need is to think of a way of dealing with the land surveyors. We cannot do anything until we can deal with them. Frankly, without more land surveyors I don’t see how. We could kill them, but technically they are civilians…”
“Who are a strategic weapon,” Savitri pointed out.
“Perhaps they need some inspiration,” Botherworth said.
“The last thing we want to do is encourage them,” Oliver objected.
&
nbsp; “No, I mean inspiration of the artificial sort,” Botherworth persisted, and he took a leather pouch out of his pocket and waved it about, “Besides rescuing you lot I also liberated some from the Nollynocks and the Grimbles. Thought it might come in useful!”
“Oh you beauty!” Savitri exclaimed, giving him a peck on the cheek.
“Just trying to help,” said Botherworth, blushing a tiny little bit.
“Now, we just need to find a way to get it to them,” said Brother Stalwart.
“That might not be as hard as you think,” Roland smiled, “We were told when we were down there that the land surveyors are being rather well fed from the kitchens, the only reason why the kitchen staff have been kept on. It should be possible to sneak a meal in to them. We shall have to make sure they all eat something of it — it is essential that every one of them is inspired!”
“Seems like everything is set then,” said Oliver.
“The odds are still against us,” Roland said, “Very much so. Do we fight?”
“We must,” said Savitri.
“Yes,” said Oliver, “I am sure that the villagers will be behind you.”
“So when do we go?” asked Savitri.
“Not yet,” said Roland.
When?” Oliver pressed.
“There will be a sign,” Roland said.
That evening there was indeed a sign. A bright streak of light shot downwards through the sky, making straight for the top the hill of the Scary Oak. Lumenfarge had returned.