Magnus and the Jewelled Book of the Universe

by S. L. Browne

  The book did seem to sparkle more magnificently and Magnus felt it growing warmer in his hands. It seemed to hum contentedly like a purring cat who loves its owner. It was as if the book was alive. He opened the pages and looked at the peculiar markings. There were odd shapes, squiggles, baffling lines and symbols that he had never seen before. He couldn’t fathom out the words at all, but he felt stronger when he held the book. He felt its goodness. Nothing bad or harmful was contained within the book. Its kindness overwhelmed him for a moment and he felt a tear start in the corner of his eye. Magnus wasn’t really a crying sort of boy. He was quite brave and had only cried a couple of times; once when he had cracked his head on a cupboard aged five. So he was surprised and embarrassed by the tear. It dropped onto the page of the book and he was worried it would smudge the writing, but it didn’t. He closed the book suddenly, trapping the teardrop inside.

  He was distracted for a moment by Frolic, the Troodon, who was chasing a dragonfly in the garden outside. He watched as the little dinosaur deftly caught it and chomped happily on his freshly caught breakfast. No fried vegetables for him.

  The Jewelled Book of the Universe was startled by the cold liquid that had fallen from the boy’s eye and it made the book think. It had watched life pass by for countless millennia, but it had never felt the tickle of a little boy’s tear before. The book quite liked this little boy and it felt sorry for him for a moment. Then the book had an idea and it decided that the time had come for a change. While the tear continued to stir the book’s wise heart, the idea grew and the book made a decision. It let its cover sparkle more brightly at the cleverness of the idea and it started to form a plan.

  Chapter 8

  The next few weeks passed quickly in the village. Throughout the rest of the summer and well into the autumn, Marlo and Magnus helped the village adapt to its new-found technology. Recycle bins popped up on street corners and the people were shown how to use them. Marlo designed some waterwheels and he even consented to a large wind turbine, but a flock of Pterodactyls flew into it one day, and there were so many casualties the villagers took it down the very next day.

  Marlo, who had a head filled with plans for this and ideas for that, encouraged the people to take up a skill and build an extra room on their house rather than a factory, where they could make jewellery, or glass beads, or handbags out of cloth. The fine leather ones, they had discovered, had been made out of a type of dinosaur skin. And though the owners were horrified, they carried on using them, much to Marlo’s disgust.

  The people enjoyed being busy for the first time in their lives, doing something other than growing vegetables and flowers and helping sick animals.

  They turned the bank into a school and the children were taught subjects like arithmetic and science and technology. They rather liked learning to read books and listening to stories, especially when Marlo told them his stories about the other Earth.

  The place sounded thrilling and terrifying all at the same time. They loved hearing about the huge ships and the fast trains, the aeroplanes, and the strange talking picture box that sat in the corner of everyone’s living room. They sat wide-eyed when Marlo told them stories about the Ancient Greeks and the Romans, and about a king he once knew called Arthur, who had a round table and a beautiful sword covered with jewels that he’d pulled out of a stone.

  He told them of heroes and heroines, and wonderful inventions, and artists like Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo; and of Pompeii, a city buried under the ash of a massive volcano. He told them about the delicious food they ate on the other Earth, and the animals, like elephants, tigers, foxes, bats and birds. He told them too of the Great Wars, and terror, and fear, and smogs that suffocated the people of the other Earth. And the children of the village sat entranced and silent.

  Then they drew pictures and wrote stories and played games in the yard outside. The people of the village were glad to see the children happy and busy. No one had their apples stolen that autumn, but a few people still found small dinosaurs in their beds at night. “Well,” Marlo said, “you can’t have everything.” And the people accepted that he was right and children were just children, after all.

  Magnus visited Moth in the hospital and fed him some strange, colourful fish they kept in a small pond at the hospital. When he told Marlo about the fishpond, his old tutor told the villagers to construct a larger pond and fill that with fish too. He showed them how to make fish, chips and mushy peas, and the people loved this new food and they queued along the street to try it.

  There was a problem with Moth, the surgeons told him. The bump on his head had stopped his growth, so he would always be a small Spinosaurus. He could never go back into the wild like that or he would be eaten up in five minutes flat. So, a week before the autumn equinox, Magnus took his little Spinosaurus home, and it slept at the end of his bed and the Troodon slept on the floor next to him.

  Magnus was quite happy with his new little family, but he was quite unprepared for the shock that greeted him the morning after they celebrated the festival of the full moon.

  *

  Everyone congregated in the village, eating fish and chips by the light of many candles. Marlo spoke the words of their ancestors by the ancient village marker stone, and they sent their good wishes to the sun, which they hoped would return in the spring, and then they danced to music provided by the village Drum and Flute Band. Then they all trooped home at half past midnight, ready for a long sleep and a long lie-in the next morning. It had been a lovely evening and Magnus felt that the magic was stronger than usual. It had flowed through the trees, the flowers and the people in the market square. He felt the electricity spark through his fingertips and through the hairs on his head. It had been a special night, but he had no idea how special till the next morning.

  Magnus was awoken by Moth gently nibbling his nose, but when he went into the kitchen he stood still in shocked surprise. Marlo was cooking breakfast as normal, but he wasn’t alone. Sitting at the table was a young girl about the same age as Magnus. She turned and smiled as he stood, rooted to the spot in the doorway. The girl had very long silvery blonde hair that sparkled like diamonds in the sunlight; eyes like glittering emeralds; and full lips, the colour of red rubies. Her skin was clear and glistened like opals, and her dress was sapphire blue silk and it shimmered when she moved. She was very beautiful and Magnus stared and stared.

  “Ah,” said Marlo, putting a plate of fried vegetables in front of her. “I found her asleep on a chair in the living room. She can’t talk, and I have no idea why, but I think she’s here to stay.”

  Magnus stared at the girl and the girl stared at Magnus. He knew who she was and the girl smiled because she knew he understood. A soft, clear voice tinkled in his brain.

  Hello, Magnus, it said. You can call me Em, for that is my name.

  And the Jewelled Book of the Universe thought its plan had got off to rather a good start, all things considered.

  Chapter 9

  In a half-finished castle, far in the north, on a cliff overlooking the sea, Murdamond was in his grand hall gazing at himself in a large mirror with a golden frame encrusted with diamonds and rubies. He was wearing his new hat made with a mass of colourful Archaeopteryx feathers and Utahraptor claws. He decided that the hat needed a few more feathers, and he told the hat maker, who stood quivering nervously at his side, to hurry along and slaughter at least six more Archaeopteryxes quickly because he needed the hat for tomorrow morning. The milliner fled, after wrapping up the hat carefully, and Murdamond was all alone in the large room.

  It was growing chilly in the castle so he had ordered a large fire to be built in the massive carved stone fireplace. Murdamond sat down in his fine gold chair and drummed his fingers on the golden arms, deep in thought. Suddenly he was bored and decided it was time to give out some orders: his second favourite pastime after shopping, which was his all-time favourite. He pulled on a
rope beside him, which rang a bell that summoned his personal assistant.

  After a few seconds, a tall, thin man in a black tunic slid into the room. His long grey hair looked lank and unwashed, and his thin mouth was in a tighter line than usual. The assistant wondered what his master could possibly want now. He had everything it was possible to have, but he always seemed to have a new list every morning.

  “Ah, Viper, there you are. I have an idea,” said Murdamond, standing up. His long tunic, made from golden thread and tiny diamonds, glittered, and his long white hair was brushed till it shone and tied with a gold ribbon, and he had threaded some tiny diamonds into his beard, so that sparkled too.

  “You are looking wonderful today, Master,” complimented Viper dutifully. It was always important to start the day with a compliment. Viper had been Murdamond’s personal assistant for many hundreds of years and he knew his master well.

  “Before I start, I need an update on how the building is proceeding. The fifteenth bathroom – is it finished? I was wondering if maybe I needed sixteen, because, as you know, you can never have too many bathrooms, and have you changed the taps to golden ones? That blithering idiot who put the silver taps in will be punished, I can tell you! Silver! How common!”

  Viper sighed; he had no idea how the silver taps had slipped past the foreman, but everyone’s ears were still ringing from the shrieking and yelling that had ensued when his master had spotted them. He was sure that a mistake like that would not be repeated again.

  “Well, Master, the swimming pool has been put on hold until the spring because the builders want to put all their energy into the castle and have it finished before the first frost…”

  “No!”

  “…I am sorry; I don’t quite understand…”

  “Get some of those pathetic vegetable-eating locals to finish the pool. I want a warm bathe on Midwinter’s Day. I always have a warm bathe on Midwinter’s Day. It’s my one treat. I want that pool finished and I want golden mosaic tiles fitted. I don’t like the blue ones.”

  “But, but, taking up the tiles will put us back even further…”

  “Well, work during the night if you have to. I want my warm bathe on Midwinter’s Day. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Master.”

  Viper knew it was no use arguing with Murdamond; he didn’t know why he’d even bothered. Murdamond always got his own way in the end. Viper made a note on his To Do List that he had on a clipboard.

  “I will be conducting another walkaround tomorrow,” Murdamond went on, “and I will be wearing my new hat, so please tell the builders to be complimentary.” Murdamond felt better giving out instructions. He poured himself a refreshing drink of cold, fizzy white wine into a gold goblet covered with precious stones and pearls.

  “Now,” Murdamond said with a big sigh, “look at that wall there, above the fireplace. Do you know what I think would look lovely on that wall?”

  “A painting of you?”

  “No, guess again.”

  “A statue of you?”

  “No,” Murdamond giggled. “I like this game. Keep guessing.” He sipped his wine and smiled, showing perfectly white teeth.

  “A gold mosaic picture of you.”

  “No, but I like that idea. I think we’ll have a gold mosaic picture of me on the wall by the swimming pool. Go on, guess again.”

  “A frieze of you wearing your new hat?”

  “No.”

  Half an hour later and Viper was still guessing.His feet were tired from standing there, but he dutifully obeyed his old master because it was his job and he liked his new rooms that Murdamond had built for him in the west wing of the castle.

  “Another jewelled mirror, so you can admire yourself even more?”

  “No. Do you give up?”

  “Yes.”

  “All right, I’ll tell you. I would like a huge T. Rex head, stuffed and mounted on a golden plaque.”

  “Oh, Master. What a fabulous idea! I would never have thought of that. Only a great mind would come up with such a wonderful idea.” Viper was very relieved. Maybe now, he could go and give the builders the bad news about the swimming pool tiles.

  “Rightio, Viper. Have Helwyr find me a huge one and send it north before the winter migration.”

  “Very well, Master.” Viper slid his forefinger across his thin lips and coughed. “Speaking of Helwyr, Master…”

  “Yes; what about him? Is he still in the south? What has he discovered?”

  Murdamond opened his jewellery box and started trying on his large collection of rings. They were huge, mainly gold, with enormous precious stones, and they glittered on his slender manicured fingers.

  “Yes, he has found out a great deal. Marlo is back in Caredigrwydd and he has made some… er… changes.”

  “What changes? That old man is useless. I am not worried about him.” Murdamond closed his jewellery box and started looking at his collection of bracelets.

  “He has brought someone with him. A boy. He is called Magnus, and the boy appears to have encouraged the vegetable-eating ones to close the bank and open a school, and he has also closed the factory and the mine. Figus is in a dungeon and they won’t let him out.”

  “What!” Murdamond shrieked. “My gold mine?”

  “Yes, but there’s more bad news I’m afraid.”

  Murdamond sat down.

  “The boy is a Trancer and he has also encouraged the villagers to use clean energy.”

  “Clean energy! Clean energy! Why? This boy sounds like trouble. Have Helwyr kill him at once.”

  “Ah, but I think that could go against The Agreement. The boy is a member of the High Deruweld.”

  At this news, Murdamond started smacking his golden table with his hands and shrieking with rage.

  “Yes, it is very annoying,” went on Viper, while Murdamond started kicking the table leg. “He has two pets, Master. One is a Spinosaurus.”

  “Really?” Murdamond stopped kicked the table leg and stood still. Suddenly he felt extremely jealous. He’d never had a pet like that. He’d had tigers, lions, and even a giraffe on the other Earth, but never anything as grand as a Spinosaurus.

  “I want one!” he yelled.

  “They are quite dangerous, Master.”

  “I don’t care! I want one!” Murdamond shouted. “See to it, at once!”

  Viper sighed.

  “Yes, Master.” Viper waited for Murdamond to calm down. “There is more news, Master.”

  “What is it?” Murdamond snapped.

  “We have intercepted a couple: a man and a woman, from Caredigrwydd, or so they say, who have been travelling on foot to all the villages hereabouts and warning them not to listen to you.”

  “Really?”

  “Shall I have them fed to the Allosauruses?”

  “Yes… no… wait. They could come in useful. From Caredigrwydd, you say? Hmm… Put them in a dungeon. We could use them to bargain with later on. Now, we need Helwyr to get me my T. Rex head and maybe to bring me that boy, Magnus, is that his name? I want him here before he causes more damage. I want Figus released and that mine opened as soon as possible. We can’t have our gold supply interrupted, now can we?”

  “Shall I send a group of our best Persuaders?”

  “Indeed. Maybe in the spring, they are not as swift as Helwyr and they will only be delayed when the first snow falls. It can wait. My T. Rex is more important at the moment. Maybe Helwyr can try to release Figus and snatch the boy.”

  “Indeed, he can only try,” Viper smiled, and nodded. “Is there anything I can get you, Master?”

  “Yes, I’m hungry. I’d like some more of those roasted Velociraptor legs. They were delicious. Yum, yum, yummy.”

  “Right away, Master.” Viper excused himself and left, before Murdamond had any more ideas.
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br />   Chapter 10

  When Helwyr the hunter received the message from Murdamond, attached to the leg of a Pterodactyl, he decided to go that very day to find the boy and the T. Rex and get the jobs done as soon as possible, so he could travel north before the cold weather set in and the dinosaurs started their long walk further south for the winter.

  He had caught sight of a large male T. Rex the week before, hunting on the far side of the lake. They were solitary beasts who ate whatever they found, even if it was already dead; the lake was a good place to pick off a young thirsty Triceratops or a few bird-like dinosaurs that had fallen in by mistake.

  He picked up his bag and his handmade wooden gun, and he put three small silver bullets in a little pouch and wrapped a warm cloak tightly around his shoulders. The autumn mornings were growing chillier and there was a light frost covering the grass and the blackberry bushes along the path that snaked from his cottage in the forest to the lake.

  As he approached the lake, he lay down so as to be out of sight and wriggled his way up a slight hill to his vantage point with a clear view over the plain where the dinosaurs congregated for a drink, and he settled down for what could be a very long wait in the cold, wet grass.

  *

  At almost the same time, Magnus, his two dinosaurs and Em walked to the lake that morning as normal. They went most mornings because Magnus liked to play in the climbing trees and watch all his favourite dinosaurs arrive at the lake for a drink.

  It was always a slow walk to the climbing trees, due to Em’s need to touch things she had never touched before, and smell things she had never smelled before, and taste the ripening berries and fruits on the trees along the way. The girl’s inquisitiveness compensated for her silence, and she had very little fear, which Magnus thought was a little bit puzzling and worrying.