Oracle in the Mist (8 page)

“Hey, this was your idea, Bobby. I just followed you. It's a bit late to be regretful. Anyway, I don't think we were lured here by that voice to be eaten or killed. No. Whoever it was that was calling us, knows us, somehow. I have a feeling this is where the children came when they disappeared back in 1930.”

Bobby saw the sense in what David was saying and relaxed a little. David stood up.

“Let's look around a little,” he said and went to a small window and looked out. It was broad daylight with a clear blue sky and the sun was shining. In the distance was an ocean.

They both suddenly became aware of huge waves being smashed upon a shoreline and then they heard something else — voices talking to one another and coming towards the hut. Bobby cringed inside with fear but her ears pricked up as well.

“Well, I can't see any point in doing that; they'll be here sometime soon; I am sure.”

“Orr, orr, orr, screech, screech,” came a most peculiar noise. The two voices seemed to be communicating with each other.

“What! Oh Sebastian, that's preposterous! No they're not going to end up in another time zone so don't even think about that. This is the
only
time zone. Remember, that's what the Oracle said. No we'll stay with our original plan and … quiet now, we'll take a look inside and see if they've arrived.”

David took Bobby's hand and stood slightly in front of her as if to shield her.

“Screech,” came the response in the strange language.

“Indeed, Sebastian,” whispered the male voice and then the hut door opened and in stepped a tall, lean, middleaged man and a monkey.

“Orr, orr, orr, orr, screech,” said the monkey.

“Quite right, Sebastian, quite right. I told you, the Oracle is never wrong. Professor Lambert, at your service,” he said, to the children, bowing slightly in the same way that David would.

“Orr, orr, orr,” said the monkey, looking up at the professor.

“Oh, terribly sorry old chap; getting a bit carried away, aren't I? This is Sebastian, most esteemed colleague, assistant and scholar in his own right. We are most pleased to be finally meeting you and to be making your acquaintance,” and they both bowed again. Bobby and David stood motionless and speechless.

“I take it your names are Bobby and David,” said the professor, sensing their apprehension. “Oh yes, we've been expecting you for some time now … some time … let me see, I think it equates to 80 years your time …” he said and looked thoughtful.

“But how … and why …” David attempted to put all of his jumbled thoughts into one question.

“Well, it's quite simple really. Ah, so many questions and so much time. I expect you want a lengthy explanation to all of this?” the professor said and gestured with his hand by waving a 180 degree circle of the hut. “Now I don't know about you, old chap,” he said and stepped forward and shook David's hand very fast and then clapped him on the shoulder in a friendly way, “but I personally think that an occasion such as this calls for some tea, don't you?” He then gestured towards the door.

The children looked at one another as they were being ushered out of the door. Outside, the bright sun blinded them for a moment and they each stood blinking. When Bobby was able to finally open her eyes properly she found herself rubbing them over and over again just in case what she thought she saw was not what was actually before her. It was in utter amazement that she realised that it was all very real and not some kind of a dream after all.

What she was looking at was more incredible than any scene she had ever seen in any movie. It almost defied description. Darkskinned people and all kinds of animals were walking about, sitting with one another and doing all kinds of crafts together. They were selling to one another in a market place and still others were sitting and picnicking with each other. Children were mingled in amongst the animals and adults and played games with each other like hopscotch and knuckles.

It took a moment to take it all in and then Bobby realised what it was that was so alarming about what she was seeing, as a large, poisonous looking snake slithered through the crowd and on into the bush. Lions sat and were patted by babies and tigers and leopards walked around without a care in the world and certainly not looking as though they were about to make a meal of any of the people. There was harmony and serenity between the people and the animals. It was quite extraordinary.

“Ina, Ina and Henry! Ina and Henry!”
People started to point at the children and shout out the familiar names.

And then they were rushed at by a large group of natives who clamoured around them, and reached out to touch them or just stood staring at them, smiling warmly. Other natives insisted on kissing them and wrapping their arms around their shoulders in the warmest and most tender way. It didn't feel threatening at all, thought Bobby. In fact it was quite pleasant.

“Hello. You are back, yes, yes?” was the question that was being constantly asked of them. All thoughts of getting home to Daphne or worries about where and how they had ended up in such a place left the mind of Bobby. She suddenly became aware of the professor trying to convince the people that their names were Bobby and David, not Ina and Henry.

“Yes, I know it's remarkable, I agree. The resemblance is just remarkable; quite a shock in fact,” and even the professor stood back to marvel at them, smiling and clicking his tongue in awe. Then Bobby heard a question being spoken that seemed to reverberate throughout the gathering and suddenly everyone became quiet as they awaited the answer.

“The baby? Where's the baby?” one of the natives asked and Bobby and David looked to the professor simultaneously for an explanation.

“I assure you that there is an answer to every one of your questions,” the professor said politely, “but first be so kind as to allow me to spend some time with these lovely young people who have just arrived and in time all will be revealed. Do we have an agreement … please?” He then gestured that Bobby and David should be allowed to pass through the crowd and the people parted to allow them through. Bobby and David moved through the crowd and started to ascend a narrow, sandy path that disappeared into the jungle.

“Right, now where were we?” the professor asked. “Ah yes, we're setting off to my place for that cup of tea. Splendid idea, even if I do say so myself.”

Bobby and David each had thoughts racing through their minds as they made their way to the professor's house. Going off into the jungle with a virtual stranger went against everything they had both ever been taught but in their hearts they knew that they were safe and that there was nothing to worry about.

The path passed through a fern glade that was so lush as to be dripping and then they found themselves walking on the softest and greenest moss they had ever seen. They next started to climb tiny steps that zigzagged up and up until finally they reached the plateau where they found themselves standing under a massive house supported underneath by gigantic bamboo stilts.

The professor pointed behind them and each of the children turned at the same moment to look and see a view that was so incredible that they each inhaled sharply — an immense sparkling aqua ocean spread out as far as the eye could see. The blazing sun shining on the water made it seem as if diamonds were jumping from the water in all directions. But it wasn't just the water that was completely mesmerising. It was what was going
on
above and
in
the ocean that was most astonishing. Sea creatures floated through the water and jumped from it. Bobby could have sworn she was looking at the Loch Ness monster and whales and dolphins leaped from the ocean effortlessly. And above the ocean, the sky was just as busy. Birds of all shapes and sizes flew all about.

David recognised that many of them were not species found in their own world and were probably what they would call “prehistoric”. Bobby and David looked at one another and then at the professor incredulously.

“This is beyond anything … How can this be …” asked David, struggling to find the right words.

“Yes, all in good time, my lad. Now let's make haste.” They all turned to continue walking up another flight of tiny steps when the most peculiar thing happened.

Coming down the steps, towards them, was a procession of cats of all shapes, sizes and colours. Not just any old cats — no, there were all kinds of cats! There were lions, tigers, leopards, and domestic cats too. Tabby cats and hairless cats. And even sabre tooth cats and other cats that the children had no name for in their own language. All magnificent creatures and all coming towards them. Bobby became frightened but the professor reassured her that there was nothing to be alarmed about. The cats would make their way straight past them.

“Oh yes, how silly of me. Dratted memory,” the professor said, smacking his own head. “I'd completely forgotten about the cat meeting being held up there at the meeting place this morning. Well, I certainly do hope they have reached a workable solution to their problem.”

Bobby could see that David was about to ask “What problem?” when the foremost lion, who had reached the bottom step and was right next to them, let out an almighty roar. David held Bobby's hand again and stood in front of her. She found herself starting to like this idea of the boy protecting the girl, but then told herself to stop being so silly.

“Extraordinary!” exclaimed the professor as if to answer the lion.

“So very pleased for you and such incredible progress; good for you,” he said, again to the lion and he gave the lion a low bow and then, with his hand, gestured for the lion and his company to proceed down the stairs.

“After you, kind sir,” he said to the lion. The lion stood up from resting on his rear legs and after letting out one more earthshattering roar, set off down the stairs with his following behind him.

“Orr, orr, orr, screech,” said the monkey to the professor.

“Yes, I know. I really am terribly pleased for them, old chap, aren't you? An excellent outcome and I really must say that I'm rather staggered that they've finally found a solution. Completely unprecedented. What a most wonderful day this is shaping up to be — and not just any old day either, but a very special day in the history of our island!”

“Screech,” said the monkey.

“Quite right, Sebastian, quite right,” agreed the professor.

Bobby had to resist the urge to start laughing hysterically at this point. It wasn't just the fact that the professor seemed to be able to communicate with animals or that there were prehistoric creatures roaming around or even that there was complete harmony between the animals and the people or the fact that she had apparently just time travelled to another dimension with a boy she hardly knew, leaving behind her mother who would probably be frantic with worry about her daughter by now. No, it wasn't any of that.

The thing that amused her the most and made her cover her mouth with her hand to stop the giggle from erupting and making her appear rather rude was the attitude of the cats. Apparently cats are the same in all time dimensions. Each and every one of the cats marched past the small gathering with an air of superiority, tails and noses up in the air, eyeing the children nonchalantly as if they had not the slightest bit of interest as to who they were or where they had come from. They obviously had far more important things to tend to. In fact there may have even been a slight air of distaste from the cats towards the small group. The last tiny furless cat, who was quite ugly by anyone's standards, gave an aristocratic flick of its head as if to dismiss them completely and proceeded to make its way down the stairs. Such an air of royalty, Bobby had never seen before, not even displayed by the royalty of her own world. The professor continued to bow low to the cats as they passed and as soon as the last one was away down the mountain the little group made their way to the entrance of the professor's house.

O
n entering the professor's house, the children were stunned by how much was packed into the four walls. While the hut they had awoken in was completely empty this one was the exact opposite. It seemed as if not one more thing could be jammed into this house. Both Bobby and David expressed their surprise at the sheer volume of books lining shelves all around the inside of the house and also acting as freestanding room dividers. Bobby thought that there were probably more books here that she had ever seen in any library. It would take weeks or even months of snooping and investigating to see everything that this house held. There were a lot of areas that were cluttered with old rubbish and had been left so the dust had built up but even that did not diminish their enthusiasm. Many nooks and crannies were appealing to the children and they both had to fight the urge to run off and start exploring the house.

“Oh, be my guests,” said the professor, as if he could read their minds. The children looked at each other gleefully and took off in separate directions. Bobby found herself drawn to a sketch of a woman that hung on a wall by the window.