The World Without

Last Days of the Koonung

Adventures in the fourth dimension

Glenn Ric

Published by GRS Communication 2015

THIS IS A

PREVIEW OF THE

FIRST FOUR

CHAPTERS ONLY

INSTRUCTIONS ON WHERE TO

PURCHASE THIS NOVEL ARE PROVIDED

AT THE END OF THE FOURTH CHAPTER.

First published in 2015 in Australia by GRS Communications, Level 1, 294 High

Street Preston Victoria Australia, ABN: 78 082 885 321, www.grscom.com.au.

Glenn Schaube 2006

The right of Glenn Schaube to be the author of this work is asserted by him as the

creator of this work and all creative copyright remains with him into perpetuity.

This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or

otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers

prior consent, in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is

published online or offline, hard copy or digital, and all co nditions being imposed

on any subsequent purchaser.

A CIP catalogue record of this work is available at the National Library of

Australia.

Paperback - ISBN 978-0-9942997-0-3

eBook - ISBN 978-0-9942997-1-0

Typeset by GRS Communications

Cover design by Omega Creative, Rochester Road Canterbury, Victoria Australia.

Paperback available through GRS Communications /publishing

www.grscom.com.au

Contents

Introduction .................................................................................. 7

About the Author .......................................................................... 8

Preface.......................................................................................... 9

Chapter 1 Half way or all the way ................................................ 11

Chapter 2 Riddles and hints ......................................................... 20

Chapter 3 Dragons and boulders .................................................. 33

Chapter 4 One way in and no way out .......................................... 37

Chapter 5 The Little Big Man ..........................................................

Chapter 6 A promise and a threat .....................................................

Chapter 7 Boys will be boys ............................................................

Chapter 8 The best laid plans ...........................................................

Chapter 9 Ambushed .......................................................................

Chapter 10 Revenge of Septus .........................................................

Chapter 11 The substitute ................................................................

Chapter 12 Vandals and neighbours .................................................

Chapter 13 Answers and more questions ..........................................

Chapter 14 Lessons and urgent errands.............................................

Chapter 15 Sods, spuds and spouts ...................................................

Chapter 16 Cracks in the facades .....................................................

Chapter 17 Spies in the dark ............................................................

Chapter 18 The secrets of the Sassafras ............................................

Chapter 19 With the benefit of foresight ...........................................

Chapter 20 Silver storm ...................................................................

Chapter 21 Flight into darkness........................................................

Chapter 22 Teeth and claws .............................................................

Chapter 23 A safe place to hide ........................................................

Chapter 24 A piece of weathered glass .............................................

Other books by Glenn Ric................................................................

A snippet of The World Without-A land in Peril ............................

Other books published by GRS Communications ..............................

Connect with Glenn Ric...................................................................

Introduction

Persuaded by Adams older brother Mason, Adam and Tom climb

the gigantic tree that grows in the bush of Edgars Valley.

Unknowingly they cross the Gateway into the fourth dimension,

The World Without, a beautiful place where the power of life is

richer and greater than anything that exists in our world.

However, a decades long conflict rages between the long-suffering

Marou and the tormented Fras who were recreated as lesser beings

during the Diminishing, a catastrophic event brought on by Adam

and Masons father when he was a boy. The Fras see him as the

Destroyers of their world because the Diminishing destroyed their

home and altered all life in the World Without leaving the Fras

deformed and the Marou barren of children. The Marou are steadfast

and face their fate in the hope of being restored to their former

selves. The Fras are filled with hate and seek revenge against the

Marou, the boys and their father.

In Part 1, Last Days of the Koonung, Adam and Tom discover the

power of this new world and learn that the Fras have found one of

the Seven Life Elements lost in the Diminishing. The Elements

imbue extraordinary power upon the holder. Although some of their

power has remained with the Marou and Fras, it too has been

diminished. The Marou seek the Elements in the hope of being

restored. However, the Fras are intent on regaining the Elements to

exact their revenge against the Destroyer and his family. Through

fate and circumstance, the boys discover their power and help the

Marou in their quest to overcome the Fras before they use the power

of the Element to destroy their world.

About the Author

Glenn Schaube (Pen name Glenn Ric) is an established writer and

author of corporate and government documents and publications. He

is the proprietor of GRS Communications a boutique multi-award

winning public relations and marketing communications agency.

The World WithoutLast Days of the Koonung was inspired by

the games of his children, and events of his own childhood while

playing by the local Koonung Creek in Melbournes eastern

suburbs. Glenn set out to write one book involving activities, games

and events that occupied the lives of his children in the hope of

inspiring them to read.

Last Days of the Koonung is part 1 of the World Without trilogy

involving:

The World WithoutLast days of the Koonung

The World WithoutA world in peril

The World WithoutRise of the Fras

Preface

If your kids are like ours, the only thing they want to do is play. Play

outside; play with each other, play online or on their phones and

game consoles.

And if youre a typical parent like us you desperately want them to

do well and be happy, so combined with jobs, mortgages,

relationships, and looking after kids its a double time, hectic life.

Like many parents we spent every night reading to the kids or

encouraging them to read for themselves. We read them stories by

great authors like C.S. Lewis, Chronicles of Narnia; Emily

Rhodas Deltora Quests (the box set), J. R. R Tolkiens The

Hobbit, The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling and a host of

others.

Bottom line, it seemed to make little difference. They just were not

readers. They just wanted to run, play, eat and sleep. Typical boys!

But here is the kicker. Our boys loved fantasy. They played a game

they called Mixed-up Made-up. Basically, its a game of pretend.

They talked about the plots, scenes and roles at school, and when

they got home they made costumes and props and played out their

make believe adventures for hours.

So we got involved; not so far as playing, but in talking about the

stories and the people in them. Under the instruction of our boys, my

wife made an array of costumes from Greek mythology, space

heroes, wizards, and monsters. I helped then make swords, light

sabres and staffs, bows and arrows and sling shots, which we were

told were crucial to a particular game we honestly didnt quite

understand.

Now you are probably thinking how did all this get them to read?

Well it inspired me to write a fantasy adventure novel. Maybe I was

influenced by all the books we read to the kids, but I tried to write

something totally unique, with new characters and Australian

themes.

I wrote a book about boys, their adventures, and the things in their

lives they were interested in. I printed two pages per sheet on the

home printer, which incorporated the kids illustrations throughout

the chapters. Then I guillotined them into single pages and bound

the whole thing with glue. And guess what? They read it! And, not

only did they read it; they went outside and re-enacted the stories,

even quoting the characters in the book word for word.

That was in 2006. Since then Ive written two sequels, which bring

the whole series of adventures to their final conclusion. But let me

say this. Kids can be brutally honest, and it can be very confronting

to have kids as critics, especially if you write for a living as I do. Im

a corporate writer, but writing a novel, a kids novel, is nothing like

writing press releases, marketing documents or ministerial briefings.

Here we are, nine years and twenty edits later, its now 2015 and

Im launching the first one of the three novels, The World

WithoutLast Days of the Koonung a book by Glenn Ric.

So if you have kids between the ages of 8 and 14, The World

Without Last Days of the Koonung may capture their interest. Its

written for them, so I hope it encourages them to keep reading,

imagining and developing their own creativity.

Chapter 1 Half way or all the way

'Come on you two,' calls Mason.

'In a minute!' replies Adam, peering up at his brother.

'If he can do it, so can we, says Tom, as he puts his foot in a large

knot of the tree, leans forward and jumps. Grabbing the lowest

branch, he swings his legs up, hooks them over behind the knee, and

then pulls his body up into a sitting position. He smiles at Adam, his

bright green eyes shining with nervous excitement.

Adam kicks the dried seedpods that lie around the base of the big

tree. He gazes up at Tom. 'Imagine if you fell!'

'Adam, youd be dead.'

The boys giggle nervously.

No-one could blame Adam for being scared; calling this tree big is

an understatement. When it comes to trees, imagine the tallest tree

you have ever seen; I mean, think ginormous. Think gigantic and

enormous at the same time, and you will begin to understand just

how big the tree is. Across the base, the trunk is as wide as three

cars parked side-by-side and it towers over every other tree that

grows in Edgars Valley.

Adam watches Mason climb even higher and tries very hard to

imagine himself doing it too. The December sun shines brightly.

Wattlebirds squawk in the nearby wattle trees where the last

remnants of bright yellow spring flowers still cling to the foliage.

Adam looks up at Tom again, 'Okay, this time Im doing it.' He

grabs the lowest branch, swings his legs up, and joins Tom. Then,

with butterflies in their stomachs, the boys are on their way to the

top. Mason is already out of sight. He calls to them. 'Are you

coming or not?'

'In a minute!' Adam replies. Big brothers, what a pain he thinks, but

keeps climbing after Mason. Neither Adam nor Tom speaks. The

next handhold or foothold is their only thought. Tom sees Mason

through the leaves above: 'Gee, look how high he is already. Hes

not scared at all.'

An image of falling through the branches appears in Adams head.

He feels sick. 'Hes just a show off.' he says, but keeps climbing

doggedly. Grabbing another branch, he pulls himself higher,

conquering one branch after another.

Tom follows along behind. 'Mason told me hes not afraid of

anything when he wears that cloak. He said if we wore our old

cloaks we wouldnt be afraid either.'

'Well its not working on me.'

The cloaks are part of costumes they used to wear when they played

a game called 'Mixed-up Made-up' years before. In Mixed-up Made-

up you could pretend to be anything you wanted. Masons cloak is

cut in the shape of a lions skin. The mane drapes over his shoulders

and the cloak hangs down his back. Mason loves his cloak and even

now that he has grown out of playing the game, he will not let Adam

wear it. Mason had grown taller, but strangely it still falls to his

ankles.

'What kind of tree is this anyway?' asks Tom as he struggles to find

the next foothold.

'Mum says its a Bunya Bunya pine from New South Wales.'

'They should call it a prickly prickly pine.'

As far as tree climbing goes, Bunya Bunya pines are difficult and

not just anyone can do it. The rough bark and prickly leaves stick

into you, scratch your hands, and snag your clothes. Why and how it

came to grow in Victoria is anyones guess, but for some reason it is

thriving here. To the boys it is just the BIG tree.

Mason disappears again, hidden by the thick foliage. They climb

after him.

'We might feel like him when we get to the top,' says Tom.

'What like a show off?' says Adam.

They laugh. 'No, Im serious. He has done it so many times; it must

be easy for him.'

'Where are you?' calls Mason.

Adam looks up and sees his brother. 'Here! Where are you?'

'Waiting up herelike forever!'

'Very funny.'

As best friends, Adam and Tom do everything together. People

often think they are brothers. Some people even mistake them as

non-identical twins. When this happens they think it fun to play

along. Both are a little bigger than the average eleven-year-old.

Adam is slightly heavier than Tom. He has a big round chest and

strong legs. His dad says he could be a rugby player. Tom has a

slighter build. When Tom smiles his broad mouth takes up half his

face, which makes his chiseled chin stick out. At school, their

teacher often sits them on opposite sides of the room because their

jokes have the class in an uproar. They are not laughing now though.

When they reach Mason, he is crouching on a branch like a bird.

Shortly after he turned twelve, Mason grew and grew. His hazel

green eyes, dark brown hair and strong chin give him a manly face.

Mason is also uncommonly confident for his age and people think

he must be closer to fifteen than thirteen. He smiles at his younger

brother who sits beside him. Adam holds a branch above his head

and says, 'This is as far as Ive ever climbed'.

Mason smiles again. 'Just dont look down and youll be alright.'

'How will that stop us from falling?' asks Tom who is resting on a

lower rung of branches with his head level with Adams feet.

'You cant fall through that,' says Mason pointing through the

branches. They see that the branches radiate around the trunk and

nearly block any direct view to the ground. It really does give them

the feeling that they cannot fall far without landing on another

branch. For a moment, Adam feels safe and glances further down,

catching a glimpse of the ground. That is a mistake. They are

already much higher than he expects. The roof of the house is far

below them now. He feels a jolt of fear, and clutches the branch

desperately. Adams heart pumps faster and his stomach churns.

Adam is afraid of heights. 'Mason, Im not going any higher,' he

blurts.

'Its alright,' says Mason reassuringly. 'There is no way you can fall

though the branches.'

'How do you know, have you ever fallen?'

'No, but Ive climbed to the top hundreds of times.'

'Oh, big deal!'

'Adam, its not that hard and my hideout is at the top.'

'Dont lie.'

'Im not lying,' says Mason, but he does not want to argue. He and

Adam often argue, as brothers do, and he knows that if Adam gets

really angry, he will refuse to go any further and nothing will change

his mind.

'Come on Tom, lets go back,' says Adam.

'Okay, if you really want to.'

'Wait,' says Mason. 'I know you cant see the hideout from the

ground, but its up there. I built it and made it safe. I promise.'

Adam does not reply. He looks at his brother. Mason already has

some of the gawky features that teenagers get when their noses

grow, and their faces get longer. He remembers Mason borrowing

their dads hammer. Mason said he was building a hideout in the

tree and took some old planks and beams to use. That was the great

thing about growing up by the bush. The boys had freedom to do

things you could not do living in the suburbs or playing a computer

game. Things like exploring the bush and creek in Edgars Valley.

Their dad had said that Edgars Creek is like the Koonung Creek

where he grew up before the bulldozers came and built a freeway

from the city.

'Come on Adam. You made it half way; you may as well go all the

way.'

'Just leave me alone Mason!'

'Think of how good you will feel when you get to the top.'

'Just be quiet.' Adam is almost shouting. Mason bites his tongue and

keeps quiet. Adam really is scared but he does not want to give up,

especially if Tom is going to do it. They sit in silence for some time,

until Mason says, 'Are you coming or not?'

'Yes, just shut up or Im going back,' says Adam but clenching his

teeth, he grabs the next branch with trembling hands, and cautiously

follows Mason.

If you have ever climbed a tree below someone else, you would

know that the climber above you loosens bark and dirt which falls

into your eyes when you look up. The only way to avoid dirt getting

in your eyes is to keep your face turned down. That means you can

only take a quick glance for a secure handhold followed by a blind

grab and step up to the next branch. For Adam and Tom below, it is

like climbing with their eyes closed. Every move is uncertain and

they feel as if they might fall at any moment. 'This is harder than I

thought,' says Tom. Climbing below Adam and Mason, small bits of

bark are falling on him constantly.

'Didnt I tell you,' says Adam.

'How are we ever going to get down?'

'Dont ask!'

On and up they climb. Tom glances at the ground through the

foliage; his hand shoots out to clutch the nearest branch. Adam sees

the fright on his face. He is not sure why, but knowing that Tom is

scared too makes him feel better about his own fears. He keeps

following Mason, trying not to look at the ground again. He is

breathing heavily and his heart pounds in his chest. His hands and

arms ache and his knees bleed where the bark scrapes the skin

through his long pants. Tom is in a similar state and calls for Mason

to stop. Adam settles on a branch and, of course, he cannot help but

glance at the ground again. Wow! He feels dizzy. The fear of falling

comes over him again and his hands and knees shake. He hangs on

as tightly as he can and the whites of his knuckles show. 'Mason,

Im going back!' he shouts.

'Adam, its alright. Were nearly at the top,' replies Mason.

Adams eyes well up in tears. 'Look how high we are! Why did I

ever let you talk me into climbing this tree? I dont want to see the

top. I just want to get down NOW!'

'Its alright,' repeats Mason.

'Thats easy for you to say. You didnt fall off the back veranda.

You didnt go to hospital with a fractured skull, I did!' shouts Adam.

Cautiously, he turns to climb back down. Mason tries to stop him,

but his foot slips in the attempt and, with a gasp, he falls.

'Mason!' screams Adam in sheer terror. Mason falls fast. Adam sees

the horror on Masons face. Their eyes meet. All sound stops. He is

level with Tom. Then Mason stops falling. He has grabbed a branch

with one hand. His weight pulls on his arm and he swings wildly,

but hanging on for dear life he does not let go. He dangles in the air,

high above the ground, kicking his legs desperately, trying to get a

foothold, but the nearest branch is just out of reach. 'Help me

Adam!' he yells.

Adam is too high and too frightened to move. An image of his own

fall from the verandah flashes into his mind. He was lucky, but if

Mason fell to the ground from up here! Wide-eyed, Tom stares at

Mason. Their eyes meet. Mason speaks calmly now, all sound of

panic or desperation is gone from his voice. 'Tom, grab my foot,

help me get a hold.'

'Tom, help him!' cries Adam.

Trembling all over, Tom leans out unsteadily with one arm

extended. He takes hold of Masons foot and steers it to a solid

branch. With just a toehold, Mason lurches towards the trunk and at

the same time lets go of the branch he is hanging on to. He falls

forward, into the trunk and into safety. 'Thanks,' he says, relieved.

Then seeing the fright on the faces of Tom and Adam, he forces a

smile and says: 'See! I told you! You cant fall if you are wearing

these cloaks.'

'Sure Mason! You are so lucky,' replies Adam.

Mason climbs back up and sits next to Adam.

'This is for monkeys. We should go back,' says Tom.

Mason stands up while hanging on with one hand. 'We should have

worn monkey suits for climbing.' He jumps up and down like some

crazy chimpanzee on television. He pulls a ridiculous face, bares his

teeth, and at the top of his voice, makes stupid monkey sounds. 'OO

OO AH AH EE EE EEE'. It looks so funny and dangerous at the

same time that they start laughing. The spell of fear is broken. Their

laughter fades and they sit there, high up in the branches, with

smiles on their faces, looking out across the valley.

After a while Adam says, 'Can you really see the city?'

'Yes and the whole valley too.'

'How much further is it?'

'Not very; but then there is one difficult spot.'

'How difficult?'

'Not so difficult that you cant make it Adam. Its just that the

branches thin out, then you have to climb through a place where the

branches grow close together.'

Adam and Tom look up towards the top of the tree. The foliage still

blocks any view of the platform. They feel nervous again.

'Come on, I promise it will be alright,' says Mason.

'Okay, but it better be worth it! Im starving and I want something to

eat.'

'I cant believe you are hungry even when youre scared. I thought I

was the only one who is always hungry.'

They climb to where the branches thin out. Tom and Adam watch

anxiously as Mason takes hold of a branch above his head. He walks

his feet up the trunk until he is upside down. Then he hooks his

knees over the branch that he is holding.

'You look like youre swinging from a trapeze,' says Adam.

Mason laughs, then lifts his head, folds his body in half and pulls

himself up through the thicket of branches.

'Is he joking? Does he really expect us to do that up here?' says

Tom.

'Yeah, and the good news is, if we fall, we get splattered like bugs

on a windscreen.'

They snicker nervously.

Sticky sap covers Adams scratched hands. Lodged into the

material, bark and seedpods litter his clothes and cloak. Mum is

going to be mad about more dirty washing. He stands, and letting go

of the hand holding the branch he is sitting on, he takes hold of the

branch that Mason used. It is a long stretch. Masons smiling face

appears between the branches above. 'Are you coming?'

Adam tries not to think about falling. Its impossible. 'Yes! And then

Im going to kill you for making me climb this stupid tree.'

'Just make sure you have a good grip.'

Like Mason, Adam walks up the tree. It takes nearly all his strength.

He doubles up to pull himself through the branches, but he doesnt

have the energy. He hangs upside down with his heart pounding.

'Are you alright?' Mason asks.

'What do you think?'

'I thought you were enjoying the view.'

'Whatever, Mason,' replies Adam, over emphasising the Mason so

it sounds even more dismissive. Mason does not answer and he and

Tom wait anxiously as Adam gathers his strength and drags his body

up through the branches. When it comes to his turn, Tom finds it just

as difficult, but he also manages to scramble up and join his friends.

Above their heads, the underside of the platform and manhole is in

easy reach.

'This is it!' says Mason excitedly. 'I hope you like the view.' He

climbs through the manhole and disappears.

Tom grins at Adam. 'We did it!' he says triumphantly.

'Yeah, and Ive got dibs on going through the hole first,' says Adam

with a grin so big it takes up half of his round face.

'No you dont,' and before Adam can get in position, Tom stands up

and climbs through the hole after Mason.

Chapter 2 Riddles and hints

Adam climbs through the manhole after Tom and finds himself in

bright sunshine. At the top at last! Mason did not lie. Even this close

to the very tip of the tree, the platform feels solid. It is nailed to

thick branches that grow a long way past the edge of the platform.

Their foliage obstructs any direct view to the ground, adding to the

feeling of safety. Adam is relieved and ventures a glance out past the

branches. They are very high, but having made it to the top, he feels

more confident. He gets to his feet cautiously and stands next to

Mason holding onto his arm. Tom joins them and for the first time

in his life he sees the whole of Edgars Valley. 'Wow!' says Tom.

'Booyarr!' Adam yells as loudly as he can in celebration.

'Look how small our house is,' says Mason.

Far below them, on the edge of the valley; it stands as the last house

in the street and the place where the suburbs end. Adam feels a little

dizzy. He steadies himself.

'I didnt know Edgars Creek went all the way to the city,' says Tom.

He traces the line of the creek with his outstretched hand as it snakes

through the valley, which is a green wedge against the bricks and

mortar of the houses and buildings. It disappears into the distant city

skyscrapers and gleaming glass windows of blue, black, and silver.

They sparkle in the sunshine and the boys shade their eyes from the

blinding glare reflected from the glass buildings.

'The sky looks strange up here,' says Adam. 'Everything looks so

much bigger and brighter,' Mason looks at Adam curiously and

smiles, but says nothing.

'Aadam! Maason!'

Dads call breaks the moment.

'Where are you?'

'Here,' replies Adam.

'Where is here?'

'Up here in the big tree.' Having climbed the tree at last, Adam and

Tom feel very proud of themselves.

'Are you all alright?'

'YEEESS!'

Sometimes their dad calls for them when they are in the valley. If

they do not answer, he whistles and they know it is time to come in

from the bush. It was the same when he was growing up and his own

father called or whistled for him to come in from the Koonung

Creek where he played as a boy.

'I think youd better come down, Toms parents will be here soon,'

he says, hoping he sounds relaxed. He feels conflicted. He is really

thinking that even though he wants them to learn to take risks,

climbing that tree is a bit much. Its bad enough when Mason is up

there. Now he has Adam and Tom with him. Strewth, theyre only

eleven years old.

The boys stay on the platform for a while longer, feeling the

exhilaration of finally conquering the big tree and being up so high.

'Whats that for?' asks Tom and pointing to a second manhole he has

noticed for the first time. It is set in the timber near the outer edge of

the platform.

'I was wondering if you would see it,' says Mason.

'But whats it for?' says Tom.

'Its another way down.'

'Can we go that way?'

'Not today.'

'Why not?'

'You have to climb on the outer end of the branches. Its serious

fun.'

'Then let's do it,' says Tom who is feeling very confident.

'Dad will see us and we will get into trouble. Anyway, now that you

have made it to the top, you can do it again. Try it when he is not

around. Just remember to wear those cloaks to protect you from the

smaller branches and leaves. It gets a bit prickly,' he adds casually.

'Alright, next time we are going that way,' says Tom.

Adam and Tom take in the valley one last time before following

Mason through the first manhole. Unexpectedly though, they both

find it more difficult climbing down than climbing up. For some

reason, more than climbing up, the moment their feet leave a branch

as they stretch down to the next one, they feel as if gravity is trying

to pull them out of the tree. This keeps reminding them of how tall

the tree is, so they climb down even more cautiously than when they

climbed up. Of course, the closer they come to the ground the more

confident they feel. Jumping from the lowest branch their feet hit the

ground and all fear of climbing is forgotten. Adam jumps from the

last branch rolling when his feet touch the ground. He picks himself

up. 'That wasnt so hard,' he says looking at Tom with a big grin.

Tom smiles back, 'It was easy really.'

Mason looks at both of them, 'Told you so.' Then he stares back up

the tree. 'Well thats that,' he says. He turns away quickly, but Adam

sees tears in his eyes.

'Whats wrong?' he asks.

Mason wipes away the tears, 'Nothing, I just got some dust'. Then he

turns and walks back to the house. Adam and Tom follow planning

to climb the big tree the very next day, but that is Masons thirteenth

birthday and it is going to be a big event.

'Its not every day a boy becomes a teenager,' replies his father when

Adam asks why this birthday is so special.

Mason invites all his school friends. The boys' grandparents, uncles,

aunts, and cousins come as well. Adam can invite one friend and, of

course, he invites Tom. The party is to go on until after dark. As

asked, everyone brings good footwear for a treasure hunt in the

bush. For the birthday lunch, they sit around two long tables

especially laid out on the back verandah. It is a beautiful sunny day.

Not a cloud in sight and only the slightest hint of a breeze. White

tablecloths and flowers decorate the tables. The best cutlery and

crockery, used only for special occasions and kept in the locked

sideboard, gleam in the bright December sunlight. The birth flowers

of each family member are arranged in large vases, and placed on

tall timber stands set around the verandah. Adams mum says that

each flower also represents a special gift. For her, there are

heliotropes for October, believed to be the flower of devotion. For

grandmother, born in March, daffodils, the flower of compassion,

and for Adam, roses, the flower for love. Daisies, the flower of

innocence for the boys' father who was born in April, but mostly

there is native holly with its pink growing tips and delicate pale

yellow flowers. It is Masons flower, and the flower of foresight.

The birthday cake is a traditional black forest cherry cake,

homemade by his grandmother. Preserved cherries covered in a

glaze and sweet cream spread between three layers of rich chocolate

sponge. The whole cake is covered in deliciously sweet whipped

cream and dark grated chocolate which leaves your tongue tingling

after just one mouthful.

Everyone tells stories about the goings on in their lives and the

conversation around the table gets louder and louder. There is

laughing and shouting and grandfather drinks too much sparkling

wine and grumbles at the smaller children who dodge around him

playing tag. It all erupts into the obligatory whistling competition

between grandfather, the dads, and oldest cousins, Richard, Kym

and Anthony. There is a trick to whistling loudly. The older men

know how to reach the loudest and highest pitch, which makes the

air warble in your ears.

'Why doesnt it work?' asks Adam in frustration, when after many

tries, he still cant do it.

'You have to put the pointer and index finger of each hand on the

top of the tongue, leave a little gap between them and then blow

hard through the gap,' says his dad. Then he blows a whistle so shrill

that Adam blocks his ears. Mason copies his father although his

whistle is not so loud or high. He needs more practice. The whistling

competition ends with everyone whistling together as loudly as they

can. The pitch is so high that it makes everyones ears ring.

'Will you stop that noise? It makes my hearing aid squeak and I

wont be able to hear for a week,' says grandmother screwing up her

face.

Just when it looks as if the whistling will start again, Adams mum

interjects. 'I think its time for the treasure hunt. Gather around kids.

I need you to divide into two even groups. Adam is the leader of one

and Mason the other.'

'Why is Adam a leader? Im older than him,' interrupts Trevor, a tall

dark haired boy.

'Adam knows the creek and how to use a compass, she replies.

The boys mum taught them how to use a compass and tell the

direction, and about how the position of the sun and moon could

help you find your way or even tell the time. Trevor wants to protest

some more, but she turns away and continues her instructions. 'You

have to follow secret routes through the valley.'

'What happens if we get lost?' says Trevor.

She smiles at Trevor, 'You will have a map to guide you. The paths

and tracks through the bush are clearly marked. It is not that

difficult. Now, everyone listen. You will come to landmarks such as

the big tree. At each landmark you will find clues that lead to the

buried chest that contains the prize.'

'Whats the prize?' asks Trevor.

'You will just have to find out,' she replies, again smiling, but

determined to get the kids organised and on their way before they

lose interest, she continues. 'Here are your instructions,' she says,

holding up two large wax-sealed envelopes.

Mason and Adam think they know every inch of the Valley. Each

secretly believes he will be first to find the treasure. After a lot more

fussing from Trevor and instructions from the adults everyone is in a

group and ready to go.

Masons mum continues her instructions, 'You can open your

instructions when you are outside the back gate. You must be back

before the sun goes down, even if you havent found the prize.'

They run down the steps through the gate and out beyond the back

fence amid many anxious calls. 'Make sure you stick together; Stay

on the tracks. Do you have your torch just in case? Everyone got a

drink and sun-block? Dont lose my good compass,' but the treasure

hunters are already too involved in the hunt to pay attention. They

gather around Adam and Mason. Each envelope contains a set of

instructions and a map, sealed in a clear plastic sleeve. She has

clearly marked the paths and tracks through the valley. Adam and

Mason take turns to read their instructions to the others. The

instructions go like this:

Dear Adam,

I am giving you some hints to share with your team. The hints will

lead you to six red ribbons, which you must collect. On one side of

the ribbons, you will find a single clue to the location of the treasure

chest. On the other side, you will find a message that leads you to

the next red ribbon until you have all six ribbons. Once you have

collected all six ribbons, meet up with Masons yellow ribbon team.

Put all the clues together and decipher the final message that leads

to the prize. Your first message is:

In the garden by the shed, I think I see something red. If you want

what I have in mind, take it along, do not leave it behind.

'Thats easy. It's next to the garden shed,' says Tom.

Adams group runs back through the gate to hunt for something red.

The treasure hunt is underway.

'Its not here!' says Trevor after searching for less than a minute.

'It must be. Just keep looking,' says Adam.

They search around the garden again, checking behind a

wheelbarrow leaning against the shed and rummaging through a pile

of leaves. Still no red ribbon!

'This is boring,' says Trevor.

'There it is!' shouts Rupert, one of Masons school friends, as he

points to the wood pile at the rear of the shed. Adams group gathers

around and watches Rupert move some logs to the side, revealing a

small shovel. Pinned to the shovel is a red ribbon. Written on one

side of the ribbon, is the word head. On the other side the second

hint says, 'The black bushfire tree looks at thee. Dont ask me, go

west, and see the elbow and me'.'What does that mean?' says Tom.

'I dont know! There hasnt been a bushfire around here for a long

time,' says Adam.

'At least we know we have to go west,' says Rupert.

Adam takes his compass from his pocket and holds it steady. The

others move in closer, watching the needle point to north. Adam

moves the compass until the north that is always marked on a

compass lines up with the needle and the W now points to the west.

'That way is west,' he says pointing towards the bush where a well-

used trail begins.

Masons group is searching for yellow ribbons. Their first message

says: From naught at all to something small, now Im rather fat and

tall.

'Thats easy,' says Mason. It must be the big tree. It started as a seed

and now its a huge tree.' Everyone in the yellow team charges off in

the direction of the big tree, bent on finding the first yellow ribbon.

Adams group set off along the westward track. It winds back and

forth through the bush and Adam keeps checking his compass to

make sure they are heading in the right direction. They walk for

about fifteen minutes, looking for a burnt tree or something red.

They see lots of bracken fern, long yellow kangaroo grass,

melaleuca, river manna gum, stringy bark trees and flax lily, but no

black tree. The afternoon gets warmer and some of the kids lag

behind.

'This is taking too long,' says Trevor who is among the tail-enders.

'No ones making you come,' says Adam.

'Here is the creek!' shouts Tom, from a little way ahead.

They catch up and find him standing in a small clearing at the edge

of Edgars Creek. The path leads right up to a steep bank, turns

sharply to the left and continues along the creek. Everyone gathers

around Adam to study the map. Trevor takes one look over the creek

and steps back quickly. 'A snake! he shouts pointing towards the

bank. A large blue tongue lizard scurries up the bank and disappears

into a clump of matt rush. Trevor and some of the others look

around anxiously expecting a large snake to appear out of the long

grass at any moment.

'The creek looks deep,' says Trevor.

'Thats okay, we dont have to cross it,' says Tom.

'According to my compass the path turns south,' says Adam.

'Hey, look how dark the bark on that tree over there is,' says Tom,

pointing across the creek.

Half hidden by the forest is a large river redgum tree and its trunk is

so dark it is almost black.

'Its the bushfire tree in the message,' says Trevor.

'That cant be it. Mum wouldnt make us cross the creek here,' says

Adam.

'Maybe your mum isnt so smart after all.'

'Yeah, right Trevor. Mum tells us to stay on the paths and then tells

us to cross the creek in a place where you cant even see the bottom.'

'We havent seen another black tree so that must be it.'

'Well I say it isnt.'

'Let me have a look,' demands Trevor while grabbing at the map.

The two boys wrestle and tug for control.

'Hands off, Im the leader,' shouts Adam.

Trevor is two years older and a head taller than Adam. The older

boy tugs hard on the map and it slips from Adams grasp causing

Trevor to stumble backwards. He teeters on the edge of the bank,

then, with a look of horror, falls into the water and disappears below

the surface.

'Hes gone!' someone gasps, but within seconds Trevor resurfaces,

sputtering and coughing. Even though he can swim, the shock of

falling into the cold water and the possibility that a snake or

something else might be in there with him sends Trevor into a panic.

He shouts for help and tugs desperately at some reeds growing along

the bank. To his dismay, the tips break off and the current takes him

downstream. He disappears around a sharp bend. 'There are eels in

here!' he shrieks in a high-pitched voice. Everyone runs after him

and find him clinging to a fallen log with his legs trailing in the

current. We better help him, says Tom so Adam steps onto the log

and walks cautiously out over the stream. The log wobbles

precariously. He turns side on to keep his balance and edges out

further over the stream. Still the log wobbles, so he lays flat on his

stomach and reaches out to Trevor. 'Grab my hand Trevor. You can

slide past me,' he calls and with a lot of heaving from Adam and

complaining from poor Trevor, they manage to get him close

enough to the bank for Tom to extend a large stick. Trevor grabs

hold of it and they haul him close to the bank where he can stand.

Miraculously he is still holding onto the map, intact and dry inside

its plastic sleeve. He climbs from the water and up the bank. 'That

was your fault,' he says pointing a finger at Adam. For a moment, it

seems that another argument will break out, but Trevor stops talking

and points over Adams shoulder. The kids follow his gaze and there

it is. The same big, black, old-man river redgum tree they saw

before Trevor fell into the water.

'How did it get on this side of the creek?' says Trevor.

They study the map eagerly. It shows that the bend they came

around brought the creek back in the opposite direction, as sharply

as a bent elbow. Back in the clearing, the bush on the opposite bank

was so thick they couldnt see that the creek swung back around

between them and the black tree so it appeared to be on the opposite

bank. Up close they can see its gnarled angry old man face and

termite eaten mouth, which is a hole left behind by a fallen branch.

Hanging from the mouth another red ribbon ripples in the gentle

breeze.

'I told you mum wouldnt make us cross the creek back there. The

bend must be the elbow in the message,' says Adam, but everyone is

more interested in the message on the ribbon. Tom retrieves it, while

Trevor squeezes water out of his wet shirt.

The single clue is THE and the next message reads, 'Continue

south along the edge. Enjoy the berries by the sedge!'

Off they go again, with Trevor trudging along behind, water

squelching in his runners. He complains that leeches bit him in the

creek. He feels wet and cold, but in the warm December air, his

clothes dry quickly. Even still, Tom feels sorry for him and keeps

him company for a while. They walk through the swamp or

wetlands, as they are known these days. An ibis catches their

attention and they startle a large swamp wallaby. It splashes through

the water rush, stirring up the yabbies on the muddy bottom. Nearby

they find a stand of weedy blackberries, covered in the first of the

ripe summer berries.

'Arent they sweet,' says Adam putting another juicy berry into his

mouth.

'If you can get past the thorns,' replies Trevor, as he licks a bleeding

scratch on his forefinger. Red-browed fire tails flitter through the

sedge grass and with bellies full of black berries the treasure hunters

are soon following the path again. They find the third red ribbon. It

dangles from the branch of a lemon-scented eucalypt tree bent over

the track. The afternoon goes on and they follow the tracks across

shallow crossings in the creek and back again. At the entrance to a

large wombat hole, they find their fifth red ribbon. The clue word on

it is 'DRAGON' and the message reads: A slide that is not a slide, a

rock that is not solid rock

'I think it must be the rockslide. I think its over there, but Ive

never come this way before,' says Adam waving his arm to indicate

the general direction. They check the map again. A short distance

from their position, the track splits in two. In one direction, the track

leads back to the house. In the opposite direction, it leads to where

Adam thinks the rockslide might be. Following the second path,

they soon hear voices up ahead and emerge from the bush into a

large clearing, covered in loose shale. The shale has fallen from a

steep rockslide that disappears into the bush further up a large hill.

Mason, Seb, and the rest of the yellow ribbon team are standing at

the base of the slide studying six yellow ribbons and one red one,

laid out on a flat rock.

'How long have you been here?' asks Adam.

'We just got here. We came down from the big cave at the top of this

hill,' says Mason.

Then, seeing Trevors damp clothes, he says, 'What happened to

you?'

'He was hunting eels,' interjects Adam before Trevor can answer..

'I fell in the creek,' says Trevor. Everyone laughs and Adam wishes

he had not made fun of him.

'How did you get our ribbon?' asks Tom.

'We found it here on the rocks, next to ours. Mums note says to

solve the final clue together.'

'Then lets put all the ribbons together and see what they say,' says

Rupert.

Everyone gathers around as Tom puts the five red ribbons alongside

the others. He reads the words out: the sleep dragons rest in see

head from endless she her who

'Doesnt mean much to me,' says Trevor.

They study the words again, putting them together in different ways,

but no one can make sense of the message. The sun is already

behind the hill of the rockslide. Shadows shroud the treasure hunters

in gloomy light and for the first time notice the strange sounds of the

bush which seem to close in around them. A possum grunts noisily

in a branch overhead. They shiver in the cooling air.

'We should go back before it gets dark,' says Trevor.

'Just wait a minute,' says Seb. 'Look up there, theres the bent tree

that we saw coming from the forest cave. Remember, it was growing

out of that red rock and we said it looked like a big bird or

something.

'Yeah, I know, its always been there,' says Mason.

'Couldnt that be the dragon on the ribbon? Everyone looks up at the

tree. It is unmistakable now. The rock and tree sit half way up the

rockslide looking very much like a huge dragon, sitting with its

wings folded, watching over the valley. This renews everyones

interest in the treasure hunt and Seb moves some of the words

around so they read: the dragons head.

While he does this, he shifts some other words to one side. This

second group of words now read as: she who rests.

'She who rests,' says Mason. 'That sounds like mums sculpture; the

one of the girl lying on her side asleep in the garden.'

'Why would she make us come here if the treasure is in your

garden?' says Trevor.

Everyone ignores this. Solving the riddle is too important now.

Adam alters the words again. The words read: see she who sleeps.

Seb moves some more words around and then places them alongside

the words already laid out. 'What about this?' he says.

Adam reads the words. 'The dragons head see she who rests in

sleep.'

Make it 'her endless sleep,' because that statue never wakes up,'

says Mason.

Now the sentence reads, 'The dragons head see she who rests in her

endless sleep.'

'Ive got it. Ive figured out the riddle!' Trevor shouts and pushing

past the others puts the word 'from' at the beginning of the sentence

so it reads: 'From the dragons head see she who rests in her endless

sleep!'

Everyone looks up at the dragon tree.

'Come on, lets investigate,' says Mason.

'Im not going up there,' says Trevor.

'Suit yourself,' replies Mason as he makes his way up the rockslide

towards the dragon tree.

Chapter 3 Dragons and boulders

Some of the boys and girls stay with Trevor. The rest follow Mason,

scrambling on the loose shale which crumbles and tumbles down the

slope behind them. In places, the slope is so steep they slip

backwards, until they hit more solid stone. When they reach the

dragon tree, they are breathing hard and dust covers their shoes and

ankles.

'Im going first,' says Mason.

He climbs up the side of the rock, and along the thick trunk, which

juts out almost horizontally, until he is on top of what is the

dragons head.

'What can you see?' asks Adam.

'Not much. The trees are in the way, but in one place there is a kind

of open tunnel through the branches and you can see our house on

the other side of the valley.'

'Then the chest must be under the sleeping lady,' says Adam.

'Let me see,' says Seb, and he climbs up and sits next to Mason.

Of course, everyone has to climb the dragons head and see for

themselves and by the time everyone has taken a turn, the light is

fading and the shadows are lengthening. It is definitely time to leave

the rockslide and they turn to make their way down.

'Whats that noise?' asks Mason.

'Nothing,' says Adam.

'No, stop walking, listen!'

Higher up the slope something heavy crashes and bangs its way

through the bush. The sound is faint at first, but it soon grows

louder. There is no mistaking it, the noise is coming closer. The tops

of several trees higher up the slope shake violently. A louder boom,

followed by a great crack, sends everyone into a panic. Not more

than thirty metres away, a tree shakes violently and its upper

branches splinter as the tree comes crashing down. A huge boulder

about the size of a car crashes through the trees and hurtles down the

slope towards them.

'Run!' yells Mason.

In seconds the huge boulder rolls past them careering down the

slope and scaring the life out of Trevor and the others waiting at the

bottom. It crashes into the bush at the far end of the clearing

careering down the slope and smashing its way through the bush

until the sound fades and the last boom echoes across the valley.

Everyone stands there in shock, staring after the boulder. Then a

loud rumbling comes from the slope above. A huge dust cloud

billows through the bush towards them.

'Its an avalanche. Run!' shouts Mason again. This time everyone

follows. They run across the rockslide, but almost immediately the

hill falls away so sharply it actually slopes backwards, forming a

shallow cave. The escape route is blocked and the avalanche is

nearly on them. 'Were trapped!' cries Tom.

'Jump, jump!' yells Mason, and one after the other they jump to the

ledge below dragging themselves back into the cave and out of the

way of the avalanche. The falling boulders thunder over them,

shaking the ground. They huddle against the back wall as dust and

small rocks fill the air. The speed and momentum of the larger

boulders carries them over the ledge and on down the hill. After a

time the forest is quiet again, but no one wants to leave the safety of

the shallow cave so they crouch together, cowering in silence, not

daring to move.

'I wonder if Trevor and the others are okay,' says Tom breaking the

silence.

They get to their feet dusting themselves off. Trevor and the others

are standing off to the side of the slope staring up at them.

'Are you okay?' he calls.

'Yes,' says Mason. How about you?'

'Can we go now?' replies Trevor.

'Some surprise,' says Tom.

'More like strange,' says Adam. 'That avalanche was granite, not

shale or slate like the rockslide.'

'So what does that mean?'

'It means they are not from around here?

'How do you know?' asks Seb.

'Hes a rock collector,' says Mason before Adam can respond.

Its true. Adam spent a lot of time collecting different rocks from the

valley. It was one of the things he and Tom did when they explored.

Tom was into plants and insects of all kinds and they kept journals

crammed full of specimens pressed and glued to the pages,

alongside their sketches and notes. Adams favourite page was the

one of several different coloured pieces of petrified wood. When he

found them, he and Tom argued over who should keep them. Tom

said that as petrified wood they should go into his plant collection.

Adam believed that hard petrified wood was more like stone and he

insisted on keeping them. As Adam found them, Tom gave in and

they stayed glued in Adams journal.

'I dont care where they came from. I just want to get out of here

before more come down on us, says Seb as he looks back up the

slope anxiously.

Everyone agrees and they climb down the rockslide and leave the

clearing as quickly as they can, glad to put some distance between

them and the rocks. Soon the house is in sight and in the chatter

about what might be inside the chest, they forget their fright. The

sun settles behind the hill and the grey shadows of twilight settle

over the valley. Arriving at the house, they run to the statue of the

sleeping lady and dig up the chest with the shovel left by the

woodpile. Everyone gathers round while Seb and Mason lift the

chest from the ground and open the lid. Chocolate coins and bags of

sweets fill it to the brim. There is plenty for everyone. Beneath the

bags they find a small box with Masons name on it. He rips open

the wrapping and finds a new mobile phone and holds it up for

everyone to see.

'Whats that?' says Tom, pointing to a large piece of bark lying at

the bottom of the chest. Scrawled into the surface is a message that

reads: Youre too late Lionheart.

Mason closes the lid quickly, 'Its just a piece of junk.'

In all, everyone agreed the party was a success and most of them

looked back at the avalanche as an adventure. Naturally, the adults

did not see it that way and even poor Trevor got a good hearing until

they tired of him bragging that he single-handedly solved the riddle.

Tom ate all of his sweets, three very large pieces of black forest

cherry cake and drank two cans of orangeade. He went home feeling

very sick indeed.

A week later, Masons birthday is just a pleasant memory of a good

adventure. Tom is staying for the weekend and he and Adam have

planned to climb the big tree and try the second manhole. Saturday

morning comes and as soon as Toms parents leave, they ran out the

back door, past the back fence, and over to the big tree.

Chapter 4 One way in and no way out

As instructed by Mason, the boys wear their cloaks again. Mason

also insisted that they carry their old wooden staffs. The boys found

them in the bush a few years earlier and used them in their games of

'Mixed-up Made-up'. Adam's staff is a creamy colour and Toms is

deep blue. They hang them in scabbards made by Adams mum that

strap across their backs. Now they only use the staffs when hunting

for lizards and snakes and other creatures that live in the bush in

Edgars Valley.

'Climbing this tree is not as easy as I remember,' says Tom, as he

clears a splinter of bark from his eye. Having climbed a quarter of

the way to the top they are far above the roof of Adams house, and

feeling frightened again.

'It's even harder climbing with a staff. When I reach for the next

branch, it gets caught and stops me from climbing higher,' says

Adam.

'Why would Mason make us carry them?'

'Who knows what he is on about? I asked him to come, but he just

said we should do it on our own. Anyway, we did it once and Im

not giving up now,' says Adam.

Tom sits on the nearest branch and fastens the scabbard more

tightly. 'Could it feel harder because Mason isnt here?'

Adam shrugs his shoulders and the boys climb higher until they

come to the place where the branches thin out. Adam scrambles up

in the way Mason taught them, but his staff catches, and his only

choice is to come down again.

'Try it without your staff. Ill pass them up to you,' says Tom.

The idea works, and soon they climb through the manhole and look

across the valley. Tom is seated with his legs dangling over the side

but Adam stands in the centre of the platform until he is accustomed

to being so high. Finally, he joins Tom and they enjoy the view and

a well-earned rest together. After a period of silence, Tom says, 'Are

you ready to go?'

'Yes, but Im going first this time,' says Adam. He peers through the

second manhole excitedly. 'Mason must be joking!'

'What are you talking about?'

'See for yourself.'

Tom peers through the manhole and sees that the trunk of the tree is

some distance away to the left. 'Oh,' is all he says. They stand by the

second hole considering what to do. 'Mason wasnt lying about

climbing the tree and the platform, so why would he lie about this?'

reasons Tom.

'I dont know, but if you trust him that much then you can go first,'

says Adam who is just as curious as Tom, despite his fears.

'Okay, I will. Rising to the challenge, Tom lowers himself through

the second manhole until his feet find a firm branch. Adam follows

cautiously. They are standing on the outer edge of a very thick

branch that bends precariously under their combined weight. Out of

reach on their left is the trunk of the tree and to their right is nothing

but a huge seventy-metre fall.

'No way!' says Adam, but the branch on which they stand bends so

far under their weight that the manhole is now out of reach. They

have no choice, they can't go back so they squat and hold on with

their hands. The branch continues to bend and tilt towards the

ground.

'Get to the trunk,' cries Adam, but the branch bends even further

until it is almost vertical and their legs dangle in the air. They

scream in fright.

'Climb! Climb!' yells Adam.

Tom struggles desperately. 'I cant hold on.' A fine powder appears

on the branches and leaves and the rough bark becomes so smooth

their hands start to slip.

'Im going to fall!' screams Tom. He wraps his arms and legs around

the branch and hangs on as tightly as he can. A second later, Adam

loses his grip completely, screams and falls onto Tom knocking him

from the branch. They hurtle towards the ground. To their surprise,

they land abruptly on a lower branch, which immediately bends and

leans inwards and around the tree. They slide along the entire length

of the branch until, with another scream; they fall off the end and

onto the next branch. It also bends and leans inwards immediately

and they continue to slide further and further. The whole tree moves

and sways and its branches bend around the trunk forming one long

tree slide. The boys slide from one branch to the next, faster and

faster. Round and round and down and down, screaming all the way

to the bottom.

'Here comes the ground!' yells Tom, but the branch closest to the

ground, bends up gently and slows their speed. They fly off the end

like someone jumping from a swing on the upward motion. Tom

lands with a thud on a thick mat of dried leaves and seedpods that

litter the ground beneath the tree. Adam lands across his leg and

Tom grunts in pain. Feeling shaken, stunned and relieved all at the

same time and not daring to move they lay there under the low

hanging branches near the base of the tree.

'What just happened?'

Tom rubs his leg. 'I think its obvious. The tree turned into a slide.'

'Thats impossible.'

'I know.'

'Then how?'

Tom shrugs his shoulders 'Search me?'

'I thought we were dead for sure ' says Adam as he gets to his feet. A

smile comes over his face. 'That was awesome.'

Tom stays on the ground rubbing his injured leg. 'That really hurt,'

he says, and then he also gets up slowly and tests his leg. 'Do you

want to try it again?'

'Not before we talk to Mason. He must have known that would

happen. Why else would he say that it was more fun?'

Adam adjusts his cloak. His staff is not damaged. Tom dusts his

clothes, stretches his leg, and rubs it some more. 'I bet thats why he

is always climbing the tree. What I dont understand is why Mason

didnt tell us about it before.'

'Or why we havent seen him use it before,' replies Adam.

'You cant see the slide from that side of the Gateway,' says a boy,

or is it a smallish man, who steps into the shadows under the

umbrella of lower branches. He is wearing a hat made of wombat

skin; a leather vest over a red shirt, and olive green pants, frayed at

the bottom. He is half a head taller than the boys. He approaches

them slowly and despite the friendly smiling mouth, his eyes are not

smiling, which gives him a mischievous expression.

'Two Guardians!' he exclaims. 'I wasnt expecting that.' He pauses,

looks the boys up and down and says, 'Not to worry, at least you

have arrived. I have been waiting for you. Follow me; there is a lot

to do.'

'What?' says Adam, 'Who are you?'

'Oh, Im so sorry. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hypnoss.' He

bows very low while attempting to sweep his arm out elegantly in

front of his body. The movements look awkward and out of place.

'Didnt Lionheart tell you I would be waiting for you?' he asks.

'Who? What are you talking about?' asks Adam.

'Of course, I forgot. You wont have been told anything.'

'Told anything about what?' says Adam in his most annoyed voice,

but the small man does not seem to mind his questions at all and

says, 'Youre supposed to come with me.'

'Not a chance. Come on Tom; lets go back to my house.'

'I dont think you can,' says Hypnoss.

'Why not?'

'There is only one way in and no way out.'

'Excuse me, but out of what?' asks Tom in his most polite voice.

'Mixed-up Made-up of course!'

'Thats a game. There is no such place,' says Adam.

'Well you are here now.'

'I dont believe you.'

'Then look around. Are things the same? Can you see anything

familiar?'

Adam moves from under the lower branches of the tree. Tom

follows behind limping. They look back towards the house. It is

gone! In fact, everything is different. Not only is the house not

where they expect it to be, nothing of the familiar bush that leads up

to the house can be seen. Instead of the usual grassy woodland that

makes up much of the valley, a dense forest of extraordinarily large

redgums, manna gums, stringy barks, and wattle trees surround the

boys. The bright flowers of the forest gleam back at them. The bush

flourishes with life of all kinds. The lower story is a dense mix of

grasses, shrubs and bracken fern and sprinkled throughout are tufted

blue bells, yellow rush lilies and billy buttons; white bottle brush

and wallaby tea-trees shine against the greens of the forest.

Mistletoe birds, yellow thornbills, crimson rosella, rainbow

lorikeets, honeyeaters, and a host of other birds fly back and forth,

calling to one another as they get on with their daily tasks. Millions

of sawflies, damselflies, brown emperor gum and black and white

striped mistletoe moths buzz among the trees. Hovering high in the

branches, colourful dragonflies with unusually large bodies that

dangle below their wings fly about like tiny helicopters. What Adam

and Tom see is a forest richer in life than even the thickest mountain

ash rainforests growing to the east of the city. Overwhelmed and

frightened at the same time, they gaze around desperately searching

for something familiar. Then Adam remembers Hypnoss.

'Where is my house?' he demands.

'I expect it is still there. Its just that you cant see it anymore.'

'What do you mean, cant see it?'

'How can a house disappear?' asks Tom.

Hypnoss replies in the same matter-of-fact tone, 'It is as I told you.

Youre in Mixed-up Made-up!'

'We should climb back up the tree. Im sure well see the house

from there,' says Tom.

'No you wont,' says Hypnoss abruptlyand for a second the smile

leaves his face. He regains his composure quickly and says: 'Now

that you are here, there is no way back that I know of.' From their

expressions, Hypnoss can tell that this confuses the boys even more,

so he adds, 'But my friend Septus knows a way. Let me take you to

him. Im sure he will help you.'

'We are not going anywhere with you. We dont know who you are,

or this friend of yours,' says Adam.

'Okay, what are you going to do then?'

The boys stand there in silence for a moment eyeing this strange

little man who calls himself Hypnoss. 'Where do you think we are?'

Tom whispers to Adam.

'I dont know.'

'He could be telling the truth. That tree slide was not normal and the

bush is not the same either,' says Tom.

Then, turning to Hypnoss, he says, 'How far is it to this Septus?'

'Not far.'

They stand there looking at Hypnoss suspiciously and then Tom

whispers in Adams ear again, 'Im not sure'.

'I dont know either,' says Adam, 'But I dont know how to get back

to the house.'

'Then we dont really have a choice,' says Tom.

'There are two of us and only one of him,' says Adam.

They talk some more trying to think of some other way of finding

Adams house, but in the end, they know that if they want to find

their way home, they will have to trust Hypnoss.

'Okay then, but it better not be far. Show us the way. We have these

staffs and we know how to use them,' replies Adam.

Hypnoss looks at the staffs anxiously, but forces a smile and says ,

'Good, thats settled then'. He chuckles and mutters something that

the boys cannot understand, and then says confidently, 'Follow me'.

So, despite their misgivings, Adam and Tom know that the only

thing they can do is follow Hypnoss into the bush. Hypnoss hums

loudly as they walk. Tom limps along, behind Adam thinking that he

must be a jolly man. The pain in his leg becomes more

uncomfortable as they follow Hypnoss along a narrow path. Tom

hears something or someone approaching from behind. It is another

small man. He is dressed in green and over the top of his green shirt

he wears a short green coat.

Hypnoss raises his hand in greeting. 'Its my cousin Laether.' The

two men greet each other and exchange a few quiet words. 'Laether

is going in our direction, you dont mind if he joins us for a while do

you?' asks Hypnoss.

Adam and Tom do not like this new development, but before they

can talk or reply Hypnoss moves on again. They follow reluctantly.

The dense forest closes in around the track and as they walk by, they

brush against the shoulder high ferns and branches of the lower story

shrubs brush. Tom decides that he will find out what he can before

they go much further into the forest. He hurries forward, but limping

on his sore leg he struggles to catch up to Hypnoss who is walking

quickly now, so he calls out. 'So where is this Mixed-up Made-up? I

mean, is it another world or something?'

Adam thinks the question is a little too ridiculous to warrant an

answer. There must be another reason why they could not find his

house.

Hypnoss and Laether exchange glances, and then Hypnoss says

quite seriously, 'No. Its the same world.'

'The same as our world?' says Tom.

'Yes,' replies Hypnoss.

'Just as I thought, so why cant we see my house?' says Adam.

'It is where it always is. Its just that your world is part of the bigger

world of Mixed-up Made-up and you can see a lot more of it now.'

'So if it is the same world, why cant we see my house?' repeats

Adam.

'Because Mixed-up Made-up is on the other side of the Gateway.'

'What gateway?'

'The one you came though.'

'We didnt see any gate. We just climbed through a manhole,' insists

Adam.

'Well I dont know any more than Im telling you, but Im sure

Septus will be able to answer all your questions. He knows

everything about it.'

They fall silent again. Adam glances over his shoulder at Laether

and sees another small man walking beside him. 'Where did he come

from?'

'Oh, this is our other cousin Uric. He heard Hypnoss humming and

just came over to say hello. You dont mind do you?' says Laether.

Tom feels very uneasy. He looks at Adam and says, 'How much

further is it? My leg is really sore'.

Hypnoss picks up the pace. 'It wont be long now.' The boys hurry

along behind. They walk through a dense area of bush and almost

crash into another smallish man who is also dressed entirely in

green. 'Hello Frantric,' says Hypnoss greeting him warmly. 'Are you

going our way?'

Frantric nods and Hypnoss turns to the boys saying again, 'You

dont mind do you?'

'Why not, the more the merrier,' replies Adam sarcastically.

'Oh good; Then you wont mind if Horpe and Phister join us?' and

two more men dressed in green appear out of the bush next to

Frantric.

Now six strange men are with them on the track and the boys are

feeling desperate and very vulnerable. Adam is about to turn back

when they come to a large clearing with a circle of logs surrounding

a pile of black ash. Tom limps up behind Hypnoss. 'I need to rest.

My leg really hurts. Its not much further is it?'

'No, no. It wont be long now' repeats Hypnoss.

Tom sits on the ground to rest his leg and Adam joins him. Their

backs are leaning against a log. Hypnoss comes over and offers Tom

a drink from a leather flask. The group of small men gather round

and Tom is about to put the bottle to his lips when he notices that

eight men are now standing around them. Two more have joined the

group. He wants to ask who they are, but the faces of the men

change, becoming distorted and angry. Their skin becomes smooth

and scaly like the skin of snake. They snarl at the boys, showing

large jagged teeth. Their clothes also change into leather armour and

loose fitting pants. The men draw short swords from under their

coats, and point them at Tom and Adams throat.

'Hey!' exclaims Tom in fright.

'Dont move or well cut you,' hisses Hypnoss. Then he orders the

men to tie their hands behind their backs.

'Get back!' yells Adam, but before they can do anything the men

jump on them, roughing up their clothes and wrestling them back to

the ground.

'Make sure those ropes are tight. They didnt drink my slug water,

so they wont be feeling drowsy,' says Hypnoss. He laughs, 'Now

well see how Septus can help the new Guardiansand they thought

I couldnt catch them!'

'What are you talking about, we're not Guardians,' shouts Adam.

'Why are you doing this? I knew we couldnt trust you,' shouts Tom.

Hypnoss ignores them and gives orders for the men to search the

surrounding bush. 'Make sure the way is clear and be quick about it.

Weve got a long way to go till we reach the Hides and Septus hates

to be kept waiting

To read more, purchase the complete Ebook on Smashwords;

Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Googlebooks; Ibooks; Barnes and Noble.

Paperbacks can be purchased online through Lulu Books;

CreateSpace, or directly from the publisher GRS Communications.

Simply search for The World Without - Last Days of the Koonung;

by Glenn Ric.

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