"Where Are We Going?"
It was a quiet journey through the skies towards the orange Time Tornado. Everyone was either full from feasting or tired—or both. As we approached the tornado, Lisa and Cindy held on tight to the sides of the chariot. They both were apprehensive about this, having never traveled through the Time Tornado in this controlled fashion. Melissa tried to convince them that it was no big deal, but they were still hesitant. The only time traveling they had done before had been that first disheveling trip through the windy vortex. Woba told us later that even he had closed his eyes.
The trip through the tornado was uneventful and the landing in Sherwood Forest was just as routine. We bid farewell to Robin and his men and thanked them for all of their help. Robin wished us a safe journey back to his future and as we flew off again, we could hear the final strains of a farewell song that Alan‑a‑Dale was singing.
Motioning toward Robin Hood and his Merry Men, I repeat a solemn incantation:
“Amnesiac, Podrepton, Gotair,”
“What was that?” asked Melissa.
“It’s a spell that Athena gave me just before we left. It’s a mind erasing spell.”
“Why did you do that?” asked Cindy.
“It’s far too dangerous for Robin Hood and his Merry Men to retain any knowledge of us or of their adventures with time travel. Do you realize how our past could be altered if they had knowledge of robots, flying chariots, winged horses, force fields, and humans from the 20th century?”
“I guess you’re right,” replied Lisa.
“It’s a shame,” I sighed, “it would have been nice being remembered by Robin Hood.”
“Well,” said Lisa, after a long silence, “that was one heck of an adventure.”
“It sure was,” said Cindy, “imagine, meeting the gods of Ancient Greece.”
“Not to mention Alexander the Great and...that wench, Cleopatra,” stated Melissa, sarcastically.
“Now, Melissa,” I chided her, “don’t be so hard. She just wanted the most attractive prince she could find.”
“You do still have cute knees,” Melissa chuckled, “I’ll have to keep you tunics more often.”
“No thanks,” I replied, “the first thing I’m doing when I get home is to find a nice pair of jeans. These skirt things are drafty.” That started all the others laughing.
“Well, I guess it’s time for the Continuum Disrupter Vortex spell,” I said, unstrapping the Spell Book, “let me get the spell out.” I flipped through the book to find the appropriate page. Not finding it, I flipped through the book more frantically.
“What’s wrong,” asked Melissa.
“I can’t find the spell,” I replied.
“It is on page 321,” reminded Rob.
“I know it is, but there is no page 321,” I said.
“Let me see that,” said Melissa, looking at the book. She flipped through the pages until she came to 320.
“Here’s the problem,” she added, “it’s been torn out.”
“What do you mean ‘torn out’?” asked Cindy anxiously.
“I mean there’s a little piece of page stubble between pages 320 and 323,” said Melissa, closing the book, “someone has torn out page 321/322.”
“I thought the book was indestructible,” added Cleo.
“Who would have done that?!” I asked angrily.
“During the period of time that everyone was turned to stone, the book was found on Athena’s table—in the open position,” reminded Rob.
“You’re right,” said Melissa, “it must have been torn out by Medusa’s sister.
“I wish we knew that then, we could have search her lifeless corpse,” I snarled. “She probably had the page on her when we killed her.”
“Unfortunately that’s in the past,” said Lisa, “literally. The problem now is how do we get back?”
“Come to think of it, that shouldn’t be a problem,” I said, “Rob has the spell in his memory. Rob, repeat the Continuum Disrupter Vortex spell.”
“Negative. Continuum Disrupter Vortex spell was never permanently entered into my memory.”
“Swift move,” replied Lisa to me.
“Not to worry, Rob has it stored in his short term memory, don’t you Rob.”
“Negative, short term memory was dumped when I shut down that system to increase sensor capability in our search for Medusa’s sister.”
“Now what?” said Cindy.
“What about the audio log?” suggested Melissa, “we used it once before to access the spell.”
“Good idea,” I said, “Rob, rewind audio log to the last time we used the spell.”
“Affirmative. Rewinding.” We heard the tape click off and begin the rewind process.
“This will only take a few moments and then we’ll be on our way,” I said, “hey, you guys,” I shouted toward Cleo and Woba, “how goes the flying?”
“No problems up here,” replied Cleo.
“It’s good exercise,” added Woba.
“Prrrrr,” chimed in Little Neptune.
“Well, Rob,” asked Melissa, after a suitable amount of time had passed, “what’s the spell.”
“I do not know. The tape is a continuous loop and it has been a long period of time since the spell was used. It has been erased and is now longer on the tape.” There was a moment of silence.
“Does anyone...remember the spell?” I asked slowly.
“Remember the spell!” shouted Lisa, slapping me on the arm, “you mean we’re stuck here in the skies over Merry Olde England?”
“Well?” I said, ducking a slap from Cindy.
“Now let’s calm down,” stated Melissa, “I think if we put our minds to it, we can remember the spell.”
“It was only a few words,” I added, sheepishly.
“All right,” said Lisa, calming down, “what was it?”
“I think the first word was ‘eons’,” stated Cleo.
“No, no,” I said excitedly, “it was ‘eonus’.”
“That’s right,” added Melissa, “and the next word was ‘regress’ or ‘regressing’...something like that.”
“Regresstos,” smiled Cindy.
“Good, good,” I said, “but for the future, the word is ‘advantos’. The Spell Book explained that for the past, the Time Tornado swirls counterclockwise. For the future, it swirls clockwise, so we have to specify which direction we wish to travel.”
“I don’t care which direction as long as it’s home,” stated Cindy.
“Then here goes,” I said,
“Eonus, Advantos, 1996, Warminster,
Pennsylvania, United States of America.”
Pennsylvania, United States of America.”
I waited a few minutes, but nothing happened.
“I don’t see a tornado,” said Lisa.
“You’re forgetting the last word,” reminded Melissa.
“You’re right,” I said, “but we’ll never remember that word. It must of had 45 letters in it.”
“Forty letters, to be exact,” replied Cleo.
“Cleo,” Melissa said excitedly, “do you know the word?”
“I’m afraid not,” he said, “I just remember that it was the longest word in the Spell Book. I think it started something like ‘volumflock’ or something like that.”
“We’re sunk,” said Cindy, “we’ll never remember a 40 letter word.”
“Warning! Tornadoes, bearing 355, 0 and 005 degrees, 100 yards,” reported Rob.
“What do you mean ‘tornadoes’?” I asked.
“As I reported, there are three tornadoes dead ahead.” Looking ahead, we saw the three orange whirlwinds coming up to us.
“How?” asked Melissa.
“Unknown.”
“Which one?” asked Cleo.
“I don’t know,” I said, “Rob, what’s your analysis.”
“One of the tornadoes is for the past, one is for the future. I do not know what the other one is for.”
“I guess we know enough of the spell to access the Time Tornado,” began Lisa, “but not enough to access the right one. Now what?”
“We’ll head into the one that’s swirling in the direction of the future,” I replied.
“Warning! Decision on tornado must be made within 2.4‑minutes.”
“I think we have another problem,” interrupted Cindy.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Look,” she said, pointing at the tornadoes. Sure enough, instead of the chariot heading toward the top of the tornadoes (like it normally does) we found ourselves in a slow descent toward the debris clouds at their bases.
“Hey, guys!” I shouted, “can’t you pull the chariot up?”
“No,” replied Cleo, “something is pulling us downward.
“Prrrrr! Neeeee!” whinnied Little Neptune.
“Rob, what’s going on?” asked Melissa.
“There has been an increase in the gravitational pull.”
“Is it caused by the presence of three tornadoes?” I asked, “cause if it is, we’ll turn around.”
“Negative. Source of the increase is unknown.”
“I’d better put up the Multi‑Purpose Protection Field,” I said, repeating the appropriate incantation. We heard the field surround us.
Our descent was now more rapid and our angle of approach had increased to a point where we were all holding on to the chariot. We found ourselves helpless to keep the chariot in the air.
“Don’t fight the force,” I instructed of our faithful team of horses...er...creatures.
“Time to entry to one of the tornadoes is 18‑seconds.”
“Rob, which tornado is the future tornado?” I asked.
“The tornado bearing 005.”
“Little Neptune!” I shouted out over the winds, “head for the tornado on your right!” I instructed, motioning with my arm. We felt the chariot make a tug toward the right.
As we flew through the debris cloud, all manner of branches and tree limbs bounced off the Multi-Purpose Protection Field. At one point, Cindy shouted that a squirrel had bounced off the field in front of her.
After passing through the cloud, I noticed that the ground appeared to be a nice, soft meadow. I instructed the team to try with all of their might to pull up, therefore leveling the angle of the chariot for a smooth landing.
Regardless, we still landed with a slight thud, the orange tornado swirling almost silently in front of us, with the debris cloud blowing overhead. So close was the Time Tornado in fact, that if I had jumped out of the chariot, I could have reach out and touch it.
Being the adventurous soul that I am, I did just that. Lowing the protective field, I jumped out and walked up alongside the chariot, clinging to the railing.
Grabbing on to the front of the reins, I leaned forward and stuck my hand directly into the base of the mighty Time Tornado.
“What’s it feel like?” shouted Melissa.
“Nothing,” I started, “it doesn’t feel like a.....THING!” I yelled. There was a sudden yank on my arm.
“What’s wrong,” shouted Lisa.
“Something’s pulling on my arm!” I shouted back.
“A creature?” asked Woba.
“No, some sort of force.”
“Can you get free?” asked Cindy.
“If I could get free, would I still be leaning forward with my hand inside a tornado!” I snapped.
Quickly, I waved my arms and reinstated the Multi‑Purpose Protection Field,
“Volnos, Ictos, Frrompton, Zalgart!”
“There’s only one thing to do,” I said, taking a deep breath, “Little Neptune, Cleo, Woba—pull the chariot forward.”
No comments:
Post a Comment