Chapter One
In the beginning..
If you were to look through a telescope into the night sky what would you see? Well I guess it would depend on how good your telescope is and whether the moon is full or if there is cloud cover, or rain even. Of course you will see the moon and stars but way up there, far away deep in that blackness lays an extraordinary universe of planets, stars and solar systems that have been there since the very beginning of time.
Lets put it another way. My very educated mother just served us noodles! You may well wonder what noodles have to do with it and I can honestly say nothing at all. It’s just a simple mnemonic - a way to help remember all the planets in their correct order. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Look again. What is it you’re NOT seeing? Lets take a closer look, shall we? Come travel with me to a galaxy far beyond the stars, billions of light years away and see what’s happening on the planet of Niburu.
Lord Utu sits on his balcony staring out across the lush pastures. He can hear the distant noise from the fields beyond. It is music to his ears. He gets great pleasure from knowing his captive slaves from other planets are working hard and amassing him great wealth. Taking a sip from his goblet he contemplates briefly on what to do with his fortune. The problem with having enormous wealth is not how to enjoy it but what to do in the event that it all might be lost. His eyes are drawn upwards and he watches the cargo ships and battle cruisers dart across the skies. The Imperial Spaceships loom into sight and hover over the docking bay waiting permission to land.
He is prevaricating, putting off the inevitable, but he can’t put it off any longer. Pushing his chair back he makes his way through the Ziggurat past the tall towers and towards the Imperial Hall of Deities.
The retina sensor recognises and acknowledges him as the slim glass doors slide back giving him access. He shuffles like a geisha silently across the room and takes his place in the Treasurer’s Seat. He is last to arrive.
“I thank you for joining us Chancellor”
Nergal the High Priest looks around at the eight Deities and says a silent prayer to be granted patience and tolerance. He is going to need both in abundance knowing that the Gods will be more than displeased once they hear the news. Pulling at the belt on his toga, straightening his laurel wreath crown, clearing his throat, he glances at Lord Utu and nervously announces,
“I’m reliably informed my Lords that we are running low on mineral resources and that our gold stocks are desperately low. As you know my Lords gold is a leading component in generating electricity and the heat from its infrared light is used to power our battle ship defence shields. General Etana informs me that he cannot lead the army without his battleships.”
“Really Nergal, we don’t need a science lesson. I think we are all more than aware that gold is important to us. And General Etana is never satisfied.” Lord Enlil interrupted.
“My Lord our current galactic abstraction and discharge projects simply cannot be sustained without more gold.”
“Is that really such a problem Nergal?” Lord Enlil interrupted again, “It seems inordinately enthusiastic to call a meeting to discuss such a trifling matter. I believe there are enough edicts to cover such a situation without eroding our precious time.”
“I wish it were a mere trifle my Lord but I have word that if we wait until we are due to return to Planet Earth there will be no planet to return to. The human race you created is bent on destruction and there is very little time left before they will have destroyed everything we left them. 99% of all species we created have gone.” Nergal waited patiently while the deities digested what they had heard.
“That must be a misunderstanding, surely? It can not be possible to precipitate such devastation in such a short space of time?” Lord Enki said, suddenly paying attention.
“There’s more. Apart from destroying animals and plants, they have destroyed the forests. They are over hunting, over harvesting, over fishing and polluting rivers and oceans. They have drained most of the planet’s resources, which is causing temperatures to rise and the Ice Mountains to melt. Planet Earth is in a crisis and we must act now.”
Lord Enki thought for a moment and then asked,
“What do you propose we do?”
Nergal shook his head.
“May I ask what the root of the problem is Nergal, therefore allowing my fellow deities and I to conclude a solution?” Lord Marduk smiled benignly at his colleagues. He prided himself on being solution focused.
“My Lord Marduk, the Earth now has a population of nearly 8 billion and it continues to grow.”
Lord Marduk tried unsuccessfully to hide his incredulity,
“We never envisaged they would populate the planet so quickly. Goodness me this is a big problem. Oh dear oh dear.” Lord Marduk sat back in his chair and rubbed his hands through his hair, nudging his laurel wreath to the floor.
“Let’s start a war. That would lose a few million” Lord Ninurta joined the debate excited at the prospect.
“If we leave them to their own devices they will undoubtedly destroy each other at some point. No it’s not a war we need. A war will only cause more damage to the planet and harm the innocent. No we need something more radical. Evermore, you’re very quiet on this matter. After all you know these humans better than of us. What would you recommend?”
Evermore rose to her feet and bowed gracefully, enjoying her moment in the spotlight.
“Thank you Nergal your grace. Its good to know I am recognised as THE subject matter expert. As you know I’ve lived amongst THEM. THEY are a dangerous species and yes THEY will eventually destroy themselves as you rightly say”. She paused as if she were considering what to say next although she knew full well what she intended to recommend. “Humans breed animals ensuring they select only superior strains, as if they know better than you my Lords. The inferior species are removed from breeding, and are sent to the slaughterhouse and sold for meat. This is justified because it’s for human consumption. But they slaughter animal species for fun and sport too. They kill deer, seals, birds, and sharks and the list goes on. They will argue that culling is necessary when they want to reduce over population because biodiversity is threatened” she gave a sarcastic laugh. “The great irony is that the ANIMAL, which most greatly threatens biodiversity, is MAN himself. My Lords its time they took a taste of their own medicine. I think we should cull them, reduce the numbers and give Mother Earth time to recover.” Evermore sat back down and waited for a response.
Lord Anu who had been listening intently suddenly spluttered into life,
“Well we asked for radical and this would certainly fit the criteria. I do believe its time these Humans understood that everything in nature has a purpose. There is a balance to nature. After all we designed it that way for a reason. We entrusted the trees to keep the balance and protect my planet. It saddens me that so much of our good work has been undone”.
Lord Nabu banged the table with his fist,
“We should never have entrusted the White Alba with Jack Fiddler so he could save his own people. We should have listened to Igdrasil the Tree of Life she warned us that this would happen.”
“You can see Man is not to be trusted my Lords” Evermore interrupted.
Lord Enki nodded in agreement
“It is a very interesting proposition and one we must seriously consider. Am I right in thinking that you already have a plan?” Evermore smiled serenely and nodded her head as Lord Enki continued. “I believe you have two very ambitious boys. Would this plan involve them by any chance?”
“Edwin is my very ambitious son My Lord. The other, Jack, has been a constant disappointment. Like his father he’s not worth the time or space. He’s chosen to follow in his father’s footsteps.”
Lord Anu shook his head.
“Edwin? I seem to recall that he disobeyed us and was cursed. Remind us of the details Lord Enki”.
“He had a hunger for scoffing humans and defied us when he was commanded to stop. We turned him into a Wendigo and banished him my Lord”.
“Ah yes, now I remember. I can’t agree to a blanket cull Evermore but let’s target the ones that are choking the planet. Ironically Edwin seems to be the perfect candidate to lead a cull. He will certainly have the appetite to get the job done. I’m relying on you Evermore to keep a close eye on him. Lord Enki make it transpire. Organise the ships and light the beacons”.
And with a gesture the decision was made.
Meanwhile back on planet earth....
Dev sat in the crow’s nest looking out at the horizon. Through the spyglass he could see the shoreline closing in and the small trade galleon making headway. Dev smiled to himself, this Spanish galleon was more than twice the size of the smaller vessel. A man o war, heavily armed and ready for battle and with its four masts and triangular lanteen sail to give it great manoeuvrability there was no doubt that they would soon catch them.
He caught a glimpse of the large figurehead sitting proudly on the bow and carved on the hull, in lustrous gold lettering the name The Black Prince. As he looked back out to sea he heard a squawking noise.
“Pieces of eight, pieces of eight”.
He slipped his hand into his top pocket and removed a baby dragon.
“Ivy, will you try to remember you are not a parrot?”
Ivy looked at him with big sad eyes and blew a small love heart shaped puff of smoke from her nose as Dev placed her gently back in his pocket. They would soon be within boarding distance and Dev caught the sound of a warning shot being fired across the bows as he heard the order,
“Hoist the Jolly Roger and the quarter flag”.
He watched as the Captain gathered his cutthroats below, and he hoped that the crew of the trade ship would surrender. Dev had seen at firsthand how risky ship-to-ship battles could be and when it came to attacking they much preferred to get up-close and personal, plundering ships before sinking them. If the trade ship refused to surrender they would launch the small boats and board using grappling hooks or their Jacobs ladder. He hoped this was not going to be an option, as he would be ordered to dive down and disable the rudder to stop their prey from escaping. He hated the water.
He shuddered at the thought and instead imagined the treasures the ship was carrying, most likely tobacco or hand woven silk from the Far East but maybe they would be lucky this time and find gold, jewellery, incense and perhaps some rum. It made the galleon a livelier place when the pirates had rum in their bellies. “No prey, no pay” he reminded himself. Pirate crew rarely got paid and instead took a share of any booty and whilst he felt sorry for the trade ship and its sailors, they would very soon be feeding the fish, as the Black Prince would win the day.
Captain Bartholomew Charles Lafitte II of the Black Prince stood tall and strong at the helm. He cut a handsome figure in his stolen doublet and waistcoat covered with precious jewels and pearls. Around his waist he wore a peacock blue silk baldric, overlaid with a leather sash that held the weight of his sword and pistols. His bucket boots were high to his knees to protect him from the cold sea winds and of course, although he knew they had a practical use, he wore them flamboyantly. They showed his great taste in finery and more ostentatiously showed off the trappings of earlier plunder. Covering his black wig, he wore the obligatory cocked hat, the three-corned tri-corn that signalled he was the captain.
Dashingly handsome, his beard was braided with black ribbon and in his ears he wore large gold-hooped earrings. These would help to pay for his burial, if he was lucky enough to escape the gallows. He prayed his heartless degenerate crew would never find out his closely guarded secret that he also wore large baggy pink silk lace nickers to help prevent his terrible seasickness.
Lafitte had accurately earned his reputation as one of the vilest and cruellest pirate captains ever known. His favourite pastime was to make his prisoners dance the hempen jig, a reference to the corpse swinging from the rafters of the main sail. He cut a fearsome figure and knew few would stand against him. He was on a secret mission to send word to a young lad but he had been distracted by his greed.
He rubbed his hands with glee. This trader galleon was ready to be plundered and he enjoyed the chase more than the loot. He knew his reputation preceded him as he shouted the order to attack.
“Give no quarter boys”, meaning they should show no mercy.
He lit the fuses in his beard and leaping from the poop deck he made a spectacular entrance by landing on the neighbouring deck in a cloud of smoke, his dagger, and knives strapped to his chest and sporting a blunderbuss pistol in his hands.
Dev watched the battle unfold knowing it was only a matter of time before the trader ship was captured and scuppered. It would need a miracle to save them. Dev suddenly felt a rush of whooshing warm air and looked to the clouds ahead to see when the storm was coming. The weather at sea can turn suddenly but it had been a beautiful warm day and he was surprised that what felt like a force wind was now blowing and then he heard a sound that he did not recognise.
The sky was still clear and the sea calm, confused for a moment, he turned towards the noise. Ahead to his left he spied large objects soaring through the sky and moving very fast towards The Black Prince. As they got closer Dev could see they were galleons but not like this Spanish galleon. These were made of osmium metal; their shiny highly polished silver hulls were mirror like and the sun reflected off them blinding him. He felt the heat radiating from them as they flew past.
As one zoomed over his head he could see the side ports on the gun deck were open and the cannons had been pushed forward for attack. Dev quaked with fear he had never seen such large cannons. This was serious artillery and The Black Prince would be no match.
“Mind your head, mind your head,”
Ivy warned him as the ships flew past.
Captain Lafitte barked
“To the guns, to the guns” as he scrambled to get back to his prized galleon.
The flying galleons rained down a firestorm that landed with the accuracy of laser guided missiles. Dev was a sitting duck, rooted to the spot and waiting for orders. He knew he had a better chance of survival if he made his way back down to the deck but he had never seen anything like this before and he was fascinated by the spectacle.
Having released their payload the silver ships glided at speed towards the shoreline and headed off inland. Dev watched them moving away though his spyglass until they were tiny specks. He wasn’t certain but he thought they had hovered over Captains Woods before they finally disappeared over the horizon. He started to climb down to see what damage had been done when the gunpowder in the hold exploded and the mast was torn away from the deck. He felt himself falling...
“Dev. Dev. DEV! You’re not listening to me”.
Harry interrupted Dev's daydream and his thoughts immediately returned to the Biggleswick beachfront. He was sitting on the promenade wall watching the waves break over the seashore. He kicked his legs back and forth cutting through the air, bouncing his heels against the concrete and scuffing his shoes. The sound of the gulls screeching overhead and the smell of the sea awakened and sharpened his senses like old-fashioned smelling salts. He looked at Harry and sighed.
“Wassup Harry”?He asked his younger sibling trying not to get irritated.
His daydream only seconds in the past and gone in the wind like the pirate’s galleon. He was back to reality faster than lightning. He wondered if time travel was like that or at all possible.
It wasn’t that Dev didn’t like Harry. It was never a question of like. As Grandpa Geoff always said.
“You can choose your friends but not your family”.
So Dev was lumbered. And it struck him that Grandpa Geoff was wrong. After all he may not have chosen Harry but his dad had chosen Harry’s Mum, and therefore chosen Harry by default.
“I’m bored. It’s too hot sitting here. Let’s go to Captains woods. We can get a bag of chips from the Golden Galleon on the way”, Harry whined.
Dev didn’t want to leave the sea front. He loved the woods but they were always there. It was good to do something different. Besides which he was enjoying being lost in his thoughts. He loved the smell of the sea and the taste of salt in the breeze. He felt excited but also calmed by the sound of the waves crashing against the pebbled beach. There was a fascination in watching the waves trying to claw the stones back into the sea as they receded, and he could spend hours lost in the rhythm of the ocean. Still he realised if he didn’t get Harry out of the sun and into some shade soon he would be in deep trouble for allowing Harry to get sunburnt.
He looked at Harry’s thick red hair, green eyes peeping out from under a long fringe and freckles spattered like the pebble-dashed beach. Harry would look like a tomato and even he wasn’t mean enough to allow that to happen. He allowed his thoughts to drift back to his life before Harry.
It was a lifetime ago. In fact it felt like several lifetimes. There had been the life he had with Mum and Dad. He could recall his mother’s face, although it was in soft focus and the memory drew more from the photograph on his bedside locker than to his actual memory. She’d been gone a long time now. He missed her of course, but he tried not to think too much about it. It made him feel sad and a little lost. She had died whilst visiting Thailand, ironically on a trip of a lifetime to learn meditation and yoga, and find herself. But she had got caught up in a tsunami. It suddenly struck Dev that his need to be by the sea made him feel closer to his mum and that maybe he heard her voice in the wind and waves.
Dev looked at Harry and gave a warm smile. He was getting used to having a sibling and this new life was ok. Having a new mother didn’t mean he had to forget about his mum. He also understood that his Dad was happy and that was really important. He remembered just how withdrawn and sad his Dad had been, working long hours, drinking too much, and hardly going out. They never talked about mum, which made Dev furious. It was the cause of many arguments and slamming doors. He spent countless hours under his blanket cave finding solace from the emptiness that swallowed him. There he could dream of mum and surround himself with memories just to feel close to her.
He remembered the day he first met Harry very clearly. He had been trying to avoid his arch tormentor Enzo Chambers and his cronies but on this occasion was unsuccessful. Enzo had swaggered towards him.
“Oi Rasta boy. Found your mummy yet?”
His cronies laughed loudly at Enzo’s Indian accent and started to mimic Bhangra moves circling Dev.
“If you are going to slag me off then at least get my ethnicity right. I’m Sentinelese you ignoramus not Rastafarian. And Rasta don’t like Bhangra, they dance to Reggae”.
Enzo made a grab at Dev’s dreadlocks and then snatched at the brown leather satchel, turning it upside down, tipping the contents over the playground. Dev stared at the heap of books and papers not sure what he should do next. His father told him to ignore the bullies and simply walk away. That was getting more and more difficult and it seemed to antagonise Enzo even further. So much so that it felt more like Enzo had become his shadow. Constantly at his side and stuck to him like a bad smell.
So he had confided in Grandpa Geoff who had a more creative solution to dealing with Enzo.
“Hey up lad” he had said in his deep Yorkshire accent. “You know that bullies are usually scaredy-cats. Your dad’s quite right you should try to avoid them but I know it’s difficult. Once they know they can get a reaction is hard to put them off. But you know I learnt a little trick from when I was in the Forest of Wishes once. A long time ago now but I don’t think it has a use by date”. Grandpa Geoff had opened a small box, which appeared empty. “This here is magic dust. Was given to me by the High Warden himself. You simply blow it in the face of your enemy. Make sure you count to eleven mind – it’s the number of internal conflict and rebellion”.
Dev followed the instructions Grandpa Geoff had given him and shut his eyes, stood his ground and counted. He could hear Enzo and his gang laughing and jeering as he stood silently.
Their voices seemed to get louder, merging together into one cacophonous sound swirling around his head. He used the rhythm of the sound to accompany his counting and strengthen his resolve.
At the count of eleven he opened his eyes, his fists clenched by his side. He took a step forward and holding Enzo’s gaze opened his palm and blew the dust into Enzo’s face. The group of lads started baying louder urging Enzo to “get him” but Enzo did not respond. He appeared to be rooted to the spot unable to move.
Dev smiled. He stooped to retrieve his satchel and took the opportunity to tie Enzo’s shoelaces together. Returning to full height and ignoring the taunts of the other boys he crossed the playground heading towards the library. He smiled again when he heard the raucous laughing coming from behind him and he knew that Enzo had fallen flat on his face.
Walking quickly onwards he kept his head down and wished he were somewhere else. He looked around furtively to see if he was being watched and satisfied that no one else had noticed him he ducked behind a wall and out of the schoolyard, heading to the sea front and the Arboretum for some respite. He was spending more and more time there.
He had spotted Harry sitting on HIS bench under HIS Screwpine tree. He had been annoyed at the intrusion but as he approached he could tell immediately that something was wrong. He felt the sadness and recognised instinctively another lost soul. They had become friends, an odd pairing by any measure and he found as they spent more and more time together he could be himself when he was around Harry. And he enjoyed that. It was how their parents met. His dad Winston had dropped him off at a BBQ and Harry’s mum Sorcha had invited him to stay. The rest as they say in storybooks is history.