The Jack Chambers Adventures - The Book of Legends

  Chapter 9

  The last meal

  The sound of the oars sweeping through the water broke the tranquil silence. The river had grown wider, with the water now as blue as the sky. The morning heat was more intense than the hottest of days in an English summer. Jack sat gazing out over the horizon as they traversed the long river. Like great explorers such as Christopher Columbus, they sought hidden mysteries. Where others would have ignored the stories as myths, they knew in their hearts that what they were searching for was real. Chris, Bill and John had a connection to it. Jack could tell. For when he had shown them the book of legends, they wept. For thousands of years their people had been protecting the star. Their ancient ancestors had been amongst the earliest tribes to aid Regulus in his quest. Over time, most tribe members merged with the new civilisations and their destiny was forgotten. Whispered from elders to children, the legend was passed on. But only as a myth, a tall tale that in the modern age could never be true.

  Chris, Bill and John were brothers. They had been told the legend by their Grandad also. Against the mocking of disbelievers they dedicated their lives to finding and protecting the star. Before their Grandad passed away he had told them of the book of legends. There was even a rumour that their ancestors had added their own scripture into the book.

  So when Jack had revealed his secret and told his story in all its glory, the three brothers instantly trusted him and offered to help him on his quest. Reading the map in the book of legends, the brothers told Jack of their knowledge of the land. They knew the way to the cave and they were going to escort Jack there. Upstream, along the river, the three brothers had a small wooden row boat. It was banked amongst the mud and grass. They would use it to travel across the landscape, as it was quicker and easier than walking.

  ‘Jack.’ Chris spoke softly. ‘You do know that we can’t come with you.’

  Jack had been resting his head on his folded arms against the edge of the boat. He lifted his head and turned to look at Chris.

  ‘I mean, when we get to the cave. We can’t come in with you. You see we are sworn to protect the star. Bound by a centuries old oath that the three of us agreed to before our Grandad passed. The oath states that we are to guard the location of the star and keep it secret. No matter what, at any cost are we to allow someone to access the star. Good or bad, it doesn’t matter. The star contains too much power for a human to hold. The fear of our people is that if a person takes possession of the star, Minos will corrupt that person for evil.

  This is why we cannot venture into the cave with you Jack. We do not want to risk losing our souls to Minos. The star is too powerful and even we do not know if we could resist it.’ Chris explained their beliefs.

  ‘But why are you letting me go in?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I fear that if we do not, this man you speak of, Kazael. Will soon harness the power of the star and life for everyone on earth will change drastically. It appears that you Jack, are the only hope mankind has. It is a heavy burden to carry but you must succeed.’ Chris did not say anymore, he knew it was a lot of pressure to place on Jack. But he also knew, he had no other option.

  Jack turned to the side of the boat. Looking down in the water, he could see his reflection. Not only did he feel older, he was sure he looked it. Just a week before, his only worry had been how he would tell his mum that he was failing maths at school. Now he had the weight of the world on his small shoulders.

  As John pulled the large oars through the water, Bill sat with his eyes shut. His head rolling backwards and forwards with every stroke of the boat. Chris and Jack sat silent. Now was a time for thoughts. Jack was thinking of his family. His mum and dad laughing with joy as they watched little Ruby sing and dance. His grandmother baking a nice big chocolate cake, Jack could almost taste it as his mouth watered. But then his thoughts turned to his Grandad. Was he still alive? Had they tortured him? What would happen to his mum and dad if Kazael found the star? What about Ruby? With these thoughts, Jack knew he had to be brave and attempt the biggest adventure of his life.

  ‘We’re going to have to stop here and walk the rest of the way.’ John said as he steered the boat to the shore. Jack opened his eyes, he must have dozed off for a minute.

  ‘Did you sleep well Jack?’ Chris asked.

  ‘I didn’t mean to fall asleep. Did I sleep for long?’ Jack lent over the boat and splashed water onto his face.

  ‘For about an hour. But that’s alright. You needed the rest.’ Chris said with a smile.

  As they reached land, John and bill hopped over the side of the boat. They began to pull the boat up onto the river bank.

  ‘Come on Jack.’ Chris said as he also jumped out of the boat.

  Jack followed. His feet sinking in the thick brown mud. As he pulled his legs up attempting to take a step, his right trainer came off. As the water washed in, it filled the inside with muddy water.

  ‘Oh! My trainer!’ Jack said as he balanced on one leg, his white sock now muddy and wet.

  ‘Look at the kid.’ Bill pointed at Jack laughing as he stood swaying in the wind like a flamingo standing on one leg, although with less grace.

  ‘My trainer, it’s gone!’ Jack said as his trainer was swallowed by the mud.

  Watching Jack and laughing, John remarked ‘Leave it mate. What do you need trainers for anyway?’ Jack looked at the three brothers. He had neglected to notice that none of them wore anything to protect their feet. Instead they travelled the land barefoot.

  Jack contemplated walking barefoot before deciding he really wanted his trainer. The ground was far too hot and hard to be walking around without any shoes on. Plus there were snakes and scorpions, he didn’t want to get bitten. So leaning down into the mud he buried his hand down. Trying to find his lost trainer.

  ‘What’s he doing now? Leave it, it’s gone.’ Bill said.

  All Jack could feel was the thick sludgy mud slipping through his fingers. Still balancing on one leg he attempted to pull his arm back out. It was now buried up to his elbow. Tugging with all his strength he finally pulled it out. ‘Argh’ the momentum threw him off balance and he fell face first into the mud.

  Bill began laughing uncontrollably.

  ‘That’s hilarious!’ John proclaimed, as he also joined in the laughter.

  With tears filling his eyes, and his face bright red, Chris fell to the floor in hysterics.

  Pulling his face from the mud, Jack looked at the others laughing at him. Within moments his face had turned from that of shock to one of laughter. He realised what a fool he must look and it was nice to have some fun. After all it was only a bit of mud.

  ‘Come on mate. I’ll help ya.’ Bill said as he lifted Jack out of the mud.

  ‘Thanks.’ Jack said. ‘I suppose I might as well take my other trainer off. And my socks are damp so I’ll take them off too.’

  ‘I reckon you should quickly rinse off in the water as well Jack.’ Chris said, having finally stopped laughing. ‘Sorry mate. But that was really funny.’

  ‘That’s alright. I would have been laughing if I had seen it happen to you.’ Jack said as he took his trainer and socks off.

  ‘Just walk in the water in your clothes Jack. You’ll dry off in no time out here.’ Chris said.

  So walking into the water Jack washed away all of the mud and dirt he had acquired over the past couple of days. He knew it could be the last wash he would have in a while.

  It had only taken a little while for Jack to completely dry off. The only problem was with his feet. The skin on his soles wasn’t as hardened as the three brothers. With the sun burning down onto the red ground he felt like he was walking on coals. Especially with the rocks and stones stabbing him constantly with every step. Even though he was in excruciating pain, he had no other choice but to carry on. They were running out of time.

  As the sun began to set, they decided to
stop walking. It had been hours since they had left the riverside and now they were in the middle of nowhere. If Jack didn’t know better he would have thought they were lost. It often appeared that they were walking back over the same land they had already traversed. The further from the river they had walked, the less life they saw. Near the river there had been great eagles soaring through the sky. Lizards would scatter past, running under rocks for cover from predators above. They had even seen a snake curled up soaking up the rays of the sun. Now however, life seemed extinct. Even the flies had gone. Earlier the flies had been so bad Jack daren’t open his mouth for fear of swallowing one. What had happened to them all? Where had they gone? Was the environment so harsh even the wildlife kept away?

  ‘Let’s settle here for the night.’ John said. The area was no different from any other but it was to be their camp.

  ‘What about the cave?’ Jack asked. He had been expecting to carry out his quest tonight.

  ‘In the morning Jack. At sunrise. But till then, you need some rest. We all do.’ Chris said as he sat on the ground.

  ‘But what if I’m too late?’ Jack was concerned.

  ‘The cave is dark enough during the day Jack. They won’t be able to find anything in the middle of the night. So they’ll have to rest for the night as well. Besides they don’t know you are after them. They wouldn’t expect that an eleven year old boy would be brave enough or strong enough to survive what you have and to still want to continue on such a dangerous adventure.’ Chris explained.

  ‘I have to. If I don’t they’ll kill Grandad.’ Jack sat down. He had managed to block out the pain of his feet whilst they were walking but as they stood still they had suddenly began to throb. Looking down at them, he could see they were red raw.

  John had managed to start a small fire to keep them warm through the night. He had struck two rocks together until they began sparking and held them close to a pile of twigs and shrubbery he had collected. Blowing on them gently, smoke began to appear and suddenly the fire had taken hold.

  Sitting around the fire, Chris, John and Bill told Jack stories of their travels. Jack knew they were trying to take his mind off of the daunting task that lay ahead of him in the morning and he appreciated it. But as they spoke he found his mind wandering to thoughts of his Grandad. The three brothers voices began to meld into one and even though Jack could hear them, he was not truly listening.

  ‘Wuuuuuuu – WuWuWu – Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuu – WuWuWu – Wuuuuuuu’

  Jack snapped out of his trance, as the strange sound vibrated through his ear drums.

  John was holding a long wooden pipe to his mouth. It was the item he had been carrying with him ever since they had rescued Jack. He was blowing into it with his mouth and the strangest sound was coming from the other end which was resting at an angle on the floor.

  ‘Wuuuuuuu – WuWuWu – Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuu – WuWuWu – Wuuuuuuu’

  It was quite an eerie sound and if Jack had not of been with them when he heard it, he would have been scared. It sounded like a thousand bees buzzing through the air.

  ‘What is it?’ Jack asked.

  ‘It’s a didgeridoo. It’s an old Aboriginal instrument dating back nearly a thousand years. We play it during important ceremonies.’ Chris explained.

  ‘So why are you playing it tonight?’ Jack said curiously.

  ‘Well Jack. Although you may not be our brother in blood, you are our brother in spirit. You have chosen the same path as our people have for generations. You strive to protect the good of mankind and at such a young age you have proven yourself very brave.’ Chris spoke sincerely as Jack listened.

  ‘I’m afraid even we are not as brave as you. We feel terrible about not coming with you tomorrow but we just can’t. You understand don’t you?’ Chris asked as he lowered his head.

  ‘Yes I understand. If it wasn’t for the three of you, I wouldn’t be here now. You all saved my life. Now it is my turn to be brave and to repay all of you for your help. Thank you so much for your kindness and generosity, all of you.’ Jacks eyes began to well up with tears.

  ‘Oh come on you two. This is supposed to be a night of celebration. Stop being so soppy! You’ll make John want to cry in a minute.’ Bill remarked.

  ‘Wuuuuuuu – WuWuWu – Wuuuuuuu. Cough – cough.’ John struggled to catch his breathe. ‘Yeah, I’m trying to play and I can’t when I’m upset.’

  ‘Can I have a go at playing the didgeridoo?’ Jack asked, attempting to change the subject.

  ‘Of course you can Jack. But I warn you. It’s not easy!’ John obliged Jack and handed him the wooden instrument. ‘Place the didgeridoo to your mouth and purse your lips together, then slowly blow out.’

  Attempting to follow Johns instructions, Jack blew into the didgeridoo. With his mouth full of air Jacks face went red as he blew as hard as he could. This resulted in him sounding like he was blowing a raspberry and the group all roared with laughter.

  ‘Strewth mate! You could scare away the crocodiles with a sound like that!’ John said jokingly.

  ‘I think one try is enough for me! I’ll leave it to you.’ Jack laughed as he handed the didgeridoo back to John.

  ‘I don’t blame you Jack. I can’t play it either.’ Chris explained which helped Jack feel less embarrassed about giving up.

  ‘Why don’t we have some tucker?’ John asked.

  ‘What’s that?’ Jack had not heard the word tucker before.

  ‘Tucker means food. Are you hungry?’ John replied.

  ‘I suppose so. I haven’t really thought about it since they captured Grandad. But I do feel really weak and tired.’ Jack appeared frail after having not eaten for a couple of days.

  ‘Crikey. When was the last time you had some grub?’ Chris hadn’t realised that Jack had not eaten.

  ‘On the plane, me and Grandad ate some chocolates. I was hungry to begin with as we started to walk but after a while I forgot about it.’ Jack explained.

  ‘You should have said earlier.’ Chris knew Jack needed to eat something. ‘John, why don’t we go get some food.’

  ‘Yeah and Bill you should give Jack his gift?’ John said.

  ‘You’re right! I almost forgot about that.’ Bill said, as the atmosphere suddenly lifted. Reaching into his back pocket Bill pulled out a wooden object. ‘Here you go Jack.’ He said as he handed it to Jack.

  ‘A boomerang!’ Jack sounded excited.

  ‘So you have seen one before?’ Chris asked.

  ‘Only in books or on television. Never in real life. Is it really mine?’ Jack held it in his hand, rubbing his other hand along the smooth wooden finish.

  ‘Yep, it’s yours Jack. I’ll teach you how to use it if you want?’ Bill said.

  ‘Really? Wow. That’s amazing. Thanks guys. Can we try it now? Jack stood up and began simulating throwing the boomerang.

  ‘First thing in the morning Jack. It’s a bit dark now. I’ll wake you up early and then we’ll have a practice before you leave.’ Bill said.

  ‘Oh, come on. Let’s try it now. Please. What if I can’t get the hang of it in the morning? I might not have time.’ Jack pleaded with Bill.

  ‘He’s got a point Bill. Plus it will be dark in the cave as well. So he might as well get used to it now. Go on, give him a go. Me and John have got to go get some food anyway.’ Chris said to Bill.

  ‘See Chris agrees. Come on Bill. Just for half hour.’ Jack knew he could persuade him.

  ‘Oh alright then. Over here. Come on.’ Bill stood up and began walking away from the camp fire with Jack following swiftly behind. Chris and Bill walked away in the opposite direction to find dinner, though Jack could not figure out what it might be.

  ‘Hand it here Jack and I’ll show you how to throw it. Now watch closely.’ Bill asked Jack for the boomerang.

  Standing amongst the darkness Bill demonstrated to Jack h
ow to throw the boomerang. Holding it in his right hand he swung his arm in to his chest and then back out again before releasing the boomerang into the dark. Jack couldn’t see it anymore but within seconds it came skimming through the air back towards Bill and he caught it again.

  Jack was impressed. ‘Wow. How did you do that?’

  ‘I’ll do it again, ok. Watch how I’m holding it and at what position I let go of it.’ Bill explained as he threw the boomerang into the distance before it returned almost instantly.

  ‘Can I have a go?’ Jack asked.

  ‘Ok. Now remember what I showed you.’ Bill handed the boomerang to Jack. ‘Hold it gently and then release.’

  Concentrating as hard as he could, Jack threw the boomerang into the darkness. A few seconds passed and it still had not returned. ‘Where is it?’ Jack could barely see Bill standing beside him, let alone the boomerang he had just launched into the pitch black.

  ‘This is why I wanted to do it in the morning.’ Bill said as Jack lowered his head with disappointment. Realising he may have upset Jack, Bill said ‘It’s alright Jack. None of us were any good when we first tried.’

  ‘You’re just saying that.’ Jack was still feeling down.

  ‘No I’m not. When I first tried I got in big trouble. I had just been given it as a birthday present and I couldn’t wait to try it. I thought I would be great without any practice. So to show off to my brothers I threw it towards them, knowing they would duck and thinking it would fly back to me.’

  ‘What happened?’ Jack had lifted his head to look at Bill.

  ‘Well, I threw it towards Chris and John and sure as I thought, they ducked. But then it kept going, instead of turning in the air and flying back to me, it smashed right into my mums kitchen window. She was furious after that and took it off of me for a month. Chris and John found it very amusing.’

  Jack began laughing. ‘Sorry I don’t mean to laugh.’ Jacks spirits had lifted.

  ‘That’s alright. It was a funny story.’ Bill was also laughing. ‘Now let’s go find your boomerang. At least there aren’t any windows to smash out here.’

  Luckily Jack hadn’t been able to throw the boomerang very far so it hadn’t taken them long to find it. This was also the case for the numerous other attempts he had at trying to throw the boomerang correctly. Eventually after growing tired, Jack and Bill called it a night and returned to the others to get some food.

  Jack was amazed at how Bill could find his way through the darkness as they walked back to the camp. Jack would have surely gotten lost if he had been alone. As they arrived at the camp they found Chris and John who were cooking some meat on a stick over the fire.

  ‘Come on lads. We have been waiting for you to get back before we start eating.’ Chris said as he turned the stick to roast the meat on all sides.

  ‘Yeah, the meat is almost ready.’ John declared. ‘How did you get on with the boomerang Jack?’

  Jack sat in front of the fire next to Chris. ‘About as good as I was with the didgeridoo!’ Jack laughed a little.

  ‘Don’t be silly Jack.’ Bill said. ‘You began to get the hang of it quicker than any of us did.’

  ‘Yeah, Bill was terrible when he first tried throwing a boomerang. Remember when you smashed mums kitchen window?!’ John said laughing.

  ‘Yeah, yeah. I’ve already told Jack about that! Now is this food ready or not?’ Bill tried to change the subject.

  ‘Yes it is. Now dig in lads. Here you go Jack.’ Chris pulled some meat off of the stick and handed it to Jack. ‘Eat it with your fingers Jack. We do.’

  Struggling to hold the hot meat in his fingers, Jack asked ‘What is it?’

  ‘You’re probably better off not knowing.’ John remarked. ‘It doesn’t matter anyway. Just fill your stomach. You need the energy for tomorrow.’

  Pulling the meat off in his teeth, Jack decided to heed their advice as he knew he may be put off of his meal if he knew exactly what it was that he was eating.

  With his stomach full and tired from the days activities, Jack lay on the floor. Staring at the stars above him, Jack wondered where his Grandad was and if perhaps he too was also staring at the same stars at that moment in time. Within moments Jack began to fall asleep, with the comfort of knowing his three new friends were beside him and that in the morning he may also be reunited with his Grandad.