League of Extraordinary Robots

by Yolanda Jackson

  THE SPOILED PRINCE

  In the land of Mayfair, lived a king by the name of Alfred and his wife, Queen Jasline. King Alfred and Queen Jasline had two children, the oldest Prince Harry and his younger sister, Princess Cilla.

  Prince Harry was a very happy little prince because you see Harry was very spoiled and rotten. Nobody, absolutely nobody was allowed to say no to Prince Harry when he wanted something, or to punish him when he did something wrong or even to criticize him. Whatever Harry wanted to have, Harry had and whatever Harry wanted to do, Harry did and that was just the way it was.

  Prince Harry was always getting into mischief, whether it was chasing his sister around the castle with his scary mask or snatching the clothing off the line for the hired help to re-clean them all over again. Harry thought this last was hilarious and he would laugh at all the servants, as he caused their jobs to be much harder as they had to do some of them all over again.

  Please, your Highness, said the little laundry girl, who was just barely tall enough to reach the clothesline to hang things up. Please dont throw the washing on the ground again. My back hurts and I am so tired of washing clothes and hanging them on the line.

  Prince Harry just laughed and grabbing the Kings royal cape off the line he chased the little laundry girl all over the yard until he knocked her down with it, then he dropped it down over her head and of course it was so wet that by the time she got it off from herself she was soaking wet and very, very angry.

  Ill give him what for, she muttered to herself and started after Prince Harry with the kings royal cape tucked under her arm.

  Ill give him a taste of his own medicine. The little laundry girl had four brothers and she knew just how to deal with boys when they acted spoiled and rotten.

  No, no, you mustnt, cried one of the laundry women, who ran out and grabbed the laundry girl by the arm and pulled her back. No one is allowed to discipline the prince or even to criticize him, remember? The last people who told King Alfred that his son was spoiled and rotten disappeared and have never been heard from again. Remember, it is strictly against the law to say anything negative about the royal family. I know that boy is trouble on wheels, but you just mustnt say anything or youll be the one in trouble.

  The little laundry girl went with the older woman but the look she gave Prince Harry, well, if looks really could kill, nobody would have had to worry about Prince Harrys mischief again.

  Every day Prince Harry had a birthday party, even though it wasnt his birthday. And when it was his birthday, well, you can imagine the kind of a celebration they had then. The king and queen wanted to please Harry and stop him from having his tantrums, so they supplied him with a birthday party every day.

  They knew that if Harry did not have his birthday party he would be a very unhappy little boy and an unhappy Harry was a terrible thing, a very terrible thing indeed!

  Most importantly, the towns people got tired of it. A birthday party every day for the same person became boring. Prince Harry had everything he could ever want, so every time someone would bring him a gift, Harry would toss it to the floor like a piece of garbage, often without even bothering to unwrap it.

  Royalty and high society came from near and far to see Harry, because they knew that someday he would be the king, but when they left, they had a bad taste in their mouths.

  That boy is a spoiled brat! said Harrys Great Uncle Claudius to his wife Isabella. Hes just like his father was at that age.

  Shhh, said Great Aunt Isabella, pushing him quickly towards their carriage. You know better than to say anything like that. Its against the law to criticize a member of the royal family, remember? What if someone heard you?

  But I am a member of the royal family, argued Great Uncle Claudius. If anyone heard what I said and told, why then theyd be criticizing a member of the royal family so Im safe, right?

  Im not sure and I dont want to find out, said Great Aunt Isabella. Now hurry and get yourself in that carriage before you say something that will get us in trouble.

  All right, all right, grumbled Great Uncle Claudius. But somebody, who shant be mentioned, could do with some good old fashioned discipline. A birthday party every day, the idea, such foolishness! His grandfather and I werent raised that way!

  If youre talking about the royal pain I completely agree with you, your highness, said their coachman, as he held the door open for them to climb into the coach.

  Reginald! said Great Aunt Isadora sharply. Ill thank you to keep your mouth closed about such things. I dont want to disappear never to be seen again even if you two wouldnt mind.

  Yes Princess Isadora, said the coachman. He managed, just barely, to keep a straight face but Great Uncle Claudius grinned as he climbed into the coach behind his wife and gave him a big wink.

  Its a shame, a real shame, said Great Uncle Claudius when they had driven far enough away from the castle to know that no one was near enough to hear what they were saying. That boy is totally out of control and his parents just stand by and let him do as he feels fit. Because they are the king and queen, no one is brave enough to say anything. Even the members of the royal family are afraid to speak about Harrys rude behavior. His parents arent doing him any favor. Its a shame, a real shame.

  Now that you know a bit about the royal family, let me tell you about the land of Mayfair itself and the other lands around it.

  Mayfair was one of the few mystical, magical lands left; most of the others had been invaded by the Bots. Actually invaded may not be the right word. The Bots werent a warlike group that overpowered nations and took over, in fact, they were really very friendly and kind beings, it was just that there were so many of them, that when they moved into an area, they simply took over and because they were such an advanced society and had so much to offer, most of the residents were glad to have them there.

  King Alfred however did not like the idea of having the Bots move into Mayfair. He very much liked being the king and having his own way about everything and he wanted things to stay just the way they were. It is very easy to see who young Prince Harry took after isnt it?

  King Alfred ordered a 100 million mile wall to be built. It is the longest wall ever built, he told the people of Mayfair. I will have guards guarding the wall day and night, thousands of guards lined up to keep watch. They will make sure that none of the evil Bots get into our beautiful land. I will make sure that you are all protected from the evil Bots.

  The king didnt add that in keeping watch so that no Bots could enter Mayfair, the guards were also keeping watch to make sure that none of the people of Mayfair could leave without the king knowing about it and giving permission and King Alfred was not about to give permission. I like things just the way they are, he told Queen Jasline. And thats just the way I plan to keep them.

  Please your majesty, called Julius, an older man who had lived in Mayfair all of his life, at least so far, as he liked to tell people. None of us have ever seen a Bot. Could you tell us what the Bots are like?

  Gladly, said King Alfred. He held his hands high in the air and curled his fingers so that they looked like claws and made the scariest face he could possibly make. They look sort of like this only worse, he told the people. They are huge ape like creatures over fifteen feet tall and they weight over a ton or more. They carry big clubs and they could kill each one of you with one blow of their clubs without even half trying. They came to some of our neighboring lands in armies of hundreds, killing and destroying everything in sight. But you dont have to worry, we have our wall and as long as you s
tay right here in our own land, right behind the wall, you will be safe from the Bots but if you go out beyond the wall you will be in danger of being caught and destroyed by the Bots.

  Many of the people were beginning to feel sick of the royal family. I feel as if we are being held prisioners in our own land, whispered Andrea, to her neighbor Bettina. I think the king is just making up about the Bots in order to keep us all here, but on the other hand, what if hes not? What if hes really not?

  Many of the people felt the same way but they were careful not to let the king or any of his guards hear them say so because of the law about saying anything negative about a member of the royal family. None of them wanted to disappear in the night, never to be seen again.

  There was one old man by the name of Wisker, who always questioned the king, but he was careful to do it underground in his secret tunnel that not even King Alfred knew about. Wisker wasnt just any old man; he was an old wizard who at one time had worked for the king, performing magical tricks for the king and his royal visitors. The king had gotten sick of Wiskers same tricks and had thrown him to the side. You are not a real wizard, he had told Wisker. You dont do real magic, just silly tricks. You are not a real wizard at all!

  Now this wasnt true. Wisker was not only a real wizard but a very powerful one at that. He was tall, with very pale skin, and he wore a black cape and a black hood to match. He had a magical book, one so very powerful, that he dare not let it leave his hands. This book is full of magic spells, Wisker told his friends. I hate to think what would happen if it ever fell into the wrong hands and someone found out how to open it. The book was made of pure leather and had a golden lock to which only Wisker himself knew the combination.

  One day Wisker went to the royal throne room to confront the king. You are not ruling the kingdom of Mayfair fairly or wisely, he told him. You must change your ways or a punishment is coming upon your land.

  King Alfred laughed. You are a silly old fool, he told him. Now get out of my sight before I have you tossed away where no one will ever see you again.

  King Alfred didnt believe that Wisker was really a magician but simply a trickster but he wasnt sure and he didnt dare have him thrown out into the darkest part of Mayfair where the sun never shone and from which nobody, NOBODY had ever found their way back.

  If he is a real wizard, I might need him to be on my side at some point, he reflected, so he satisfied himself with just calling Wisker an old fool and letting it go at that.

  Wisker began traveling in and out from the land of Mayfair. He would cast a magic spell and the guards would never even notice him as he passed by them. He traveled to this part of the land outside of Mayfair and to that part of the land outside of Mayfair until at last he satisfied himself that he knew what the Bots were really like.

  After that Wisker began calling for nightly meeting in the graveyard. Many of the citizens of Mayfair attended and those who were too afraid to attend would get their information about what had been said from their neighbors who had been there.

  The king is lying to you, Wisker told the people. For some reason he is keeping the people of Mayfair hostage and not telling them the truth about the Bots.

  You tell one thing and King Alfred tells another, said one man. How do we know what to believe? How do we know who is telling the truth?

  Wisker reached into of his long cape and pulled out a large silver coin. This will show you that I have been out of the land of Mayfair, he told them. The coin had a picture of the Bots on it and was crafted from the finest silver available and by the hands of a very skilled craftsman. As the coin was passed around through the crowd for all to see, it began to shine brighter and brighter until by the time it got back to Wisker it was shining brighter than anything any of them had ever seen before.

  One man, by the name of Nigel, stepped forward and reached out to touch the coin again. He very carefully laid one finger on it.

  How did you get this? he asked Wisker, as he gently rubbed his finger over the glowing design on the coin.

  I got it from a Bot, answered Wisker. The Bots are mere harmless creatures and the king of Mayfair is not telling his citizens the truth.

  How do we know that you didnt make it? asked Bettina, who together with her friend Andrea was in the crowd. You are after all a wizard.

  I may be a wizard, but I could never imagine something like this, answered Wisker.

  The people continued to gaze at the coin and then they began to wonder what it was really like outside of Mayfair.

  Well, how do we get out of here? asked Nigal. I for one want to see what it is really like outside of Mayfair.

  First we must keep this a secret, said Wisker. We must take it slow. If the king finds out that we know he isnt being truthful with us, he will have us all beheaded. I am a wizard and a powerful one, but the king has magic too, by virtue of his position as king and I am not sure if I can defeat him or not.

  We must be very careful, called out a voice and the crowd murmured in agreement.

  Wisker looked out over the crowd and they all quieted, waiting to see what he would say next.

  I will choose one person to take on my next journey, he announced.

  Take me, take me, called out several voices.

  No, take me, said one skeptical old man by the name of William, raising his hands and demanding to go.

  No, called out one woman. You are the town drunk. Who is going to believe you no matter what you say when you come back? Take me, Wisker, take me with you.

  No, said William. I would be the perfect one to go with you. I may be a drunk but you all know me and you all know that I am not a liar. You all know that whatever I would tell you when we came back would be the truth.

  Yes, you are the one whom I will take with me, William, said Wisker. He drew out his magic wand and the group quieted once again, anxious to see what was about to happen. He twirled his wand around in the air above his head. Dibbldy dobledy wibbldy woo, he said, in a voice much unlike his usual speaking voice. Then he pointed his wand straight at William and continued. Well go on this trip, just me and you.

  Suddenly the wand let of sparkles of light and within miutes Wiskers and William disappeared. The people looked all around, where had they gone? Suddenly there was a big bang and the underground tunnel began to shake. Lights, the colors of rainbows bounced off the tunnel walls. There was one more big blast and then all was quiet, very, very quiet. Then the people could hear the sound of the soldiers foot steps above them.

  The people were very fearful. They knew that if they were caught by the royal guards something terrible might happen to them. They quickly put out and the lamps and remained extremely quiet, just as quiet as quiet could be.

  After a little while one man whispered, Someone should go and see if the coast is clear. Everyone agreed that what he said was true, but no one felt brave enough to be the one to go and look so they all just stayed there together as quiet as quiet could be.

  In the meantime, Wiskers and William, were having their own adventure on their way to the city of Bots. They found themselves encased in a light which landed on the ground and they stepped out of it. William was so amazed at Wiskers powers that he began to bow down to him but Wiskers grabbed him by the hands and pulled him back up. No, you dont bow to me, he told him. I am not worthy of your praises. I am but a man who has been granted special gifts.

  William got up and looked all around. He realized as he gathered his thoughts that he was no longer in Mayfair but in a whole different world. His eyes bulged almost out of their sockets as he looked around. He had never seen anything like this in his life. This cant be, he whispered to himself, then he began to run towards the towns of the Bots.

  Wiskers ran after him. Hey, slow down, he told him. Youll have time to see eve
rything, You dont have to hurry.

  William stared all around, his mouth open in amazement. Instead of buildings made of wood or stone, he saw buildings made of steel that floated through the air. Instead of horse drawn carriages, he saw vehicles that flew in mid air at the speed of light. Bright lights were everywhere and most importantly there were the Bots. They were robots with huge glass heads, big blue eyes, and white fabricated bodies. They moved as fast as light and as far as William was concerned there had to have been a million of them.

  What in the world are they? he asked Wiskers as soon as he found himself able to speak.

  They are the Bots I have been telling you about, the advanced civilization. Come on and socialize. I know many of them and Ill introduce you. When the Bots saw Wiskers it was evident that he was well known and that the Bots loved him. One small Bot ran up to Wisker and jumping high in the air gave him what we in our world would call a high five. Well hello, Charlie, said Wiskers

  Well hello to you and your friend, answered Charlie.

  William became very frightened and began to clinch his fists and to hide behind Wisker Charlie the Bot followed William. Its alright, I wont hurt you, said Charlie, in a baby voice. Benji stared at him, not quite sure what to think.

  Its all right, said Wisker soothingly. The Bots are friendly folks. Charlie here is just a young boy. Hes the same age as our own Prince Harry.

  Charlie reached out his hand in peace to William. At first William was afraid to shake Charlies hand, but he trusted Wisker when he said that Charlie was not a threat so he extended his own hand in friendship.

  Charlie was so glad to make a new friend that he began to do back flips all through the streets, almost getting hit by a car. Wisker spun his magic wand and caught Charlie up in a bubble and lifted him away from the traffic, bouncing him up and down in the air as he did so.

  What a strange creature, said William.

  Wisker smiled. That is one of the war like apes that King Alfred has been telling us about, he told him. I told you there was more to Mayfair than the king wants people to know.

  William nodded, still looking around this way and that in amazement to see a world so different in its advanced technology from what he was used to seeing and here it was, right under his nose.

  Charlie, Charlie, where are you? called a lady Bot, as she hurried along, sounding rather panicky.

  Its all right, hes right here, said Wisker, as he brought Charlie down from the ball of bubble that he was in. I was afraid he was going to get hit by one of your vehicles, so I caught him up.

  Charlies mother was very upset and it was evident that she did not want Charlie hanging out with the humans. She grabbed Charlie by the hands and quickly pulled him away from Wisker, giving Wisker an evil look as she did so.

  Why was she so angry with us? asked William, puzzled.

  Its not us, its King Alfred. He declared war on the Bots.

  Instead of learning about them he chose to destroy them. He told them they were not wanted or welcomed in Mayfair.

  Wisker pulled William back away from traffic. Wed better get you to a safer place he told him. Youre not used to all this and we dont want you getting run over. Lets go have some fun while were here. Wisker took William to an arena where bots were cheering and betting on their favorite racer.

  William couldnt believe his eyes. The arena was larger than any arena he could possibly have imagined. Wow! said William as he looked all around and saw the Bot statues everywhere and the huge screens displaying the races going on. Look, look, he cried pointing, as he spotted himself on one of the screens in super size. He shook Wisker by the arm as he pointed.

  Wisker grinned. He remembered how he had felt the first time he had visited the arena. I know, isnt that amazing? he said. William nodded and continued to stare at the screen.

  Would you like to bet on a team? asked one of the Bots. Wisker quickly picked and ticket and choose driver number five. It was easy to see that he was an old timer at this. William on the other hand was overwhelmed by what he was seeing and didnt even take a ticket from the Bot. The Bot finally got tired of waiting and headed off to find some other betters. Hey Wisker, next time bring someone who is more fun, he said as he was leaving.

  Wisker laughed. You really need to lighten up, he told William.

  Soon the race started and on the track were race cars, painted in bright mutable colors and each one numbered. The track was so advanced that it floated in the air, giving the audience a 3D feeling. Wiskers car, number five, was bright and shinny. The driver hopped out of the car and waved at the crowd. He was a tall Bot, wearing blue racing gear and helmet.

  He is the most popular driver of all, said Wisker to William. But he has a lot of competition on the track. There are many Bots ready to take his fame away from him.

  Hi Wisker, my human friend, called Driver Number Five. The crowd went wild with cheering as one of the big screens showed Wisker waving back.

  They really like you said William.

  Wisker just smiled and went on watching the race.

  The race started. The engines roared and the Bots screamed. William suddenly noticed that there were more humans in the land of the Bots than he had thought. I see humans all through the crowd, he thought to himself.

  Wisker, there are humans here, he said urgently, giving Wiskers arm a slight shake to get his attention.

  Why yes there are, answered Wisker calmly. Those are humans that managed to escape from the land of Mayfair and found refuge with the Bots. The king is lying to the people when he tells them that the Bots are mean and evil. They are truly great creatures who want nothing more than to be our friends.

  William looked all around at the crowds of people, both Bot and human and was amazed to see that they were all living in harmony.

  Suddenly the truth of what he was seeing began to sink in. You mean the king has lied to us all these years? he asked.

  Wisker just nodded and then turned his attention to the race. Car number five is in the lead with one more lap to go, he said excitedly.

  Ten, nine, eight, seven&., yelled the timekeeper. The crowd went wild as the seconds counted down. The cars flew over the heads of the people and by an inch, number five won.

  Great bidding, said a Bot, as he paid Wisker and sped off.

  Thats how I got the coin to show the people in Mayfair, remarked Wisker, as he carefully tucked away his winnings.

  William was in a state of shock at what he was seeing as he suddenly began to realize what it all meant. He began to wander through the crown, touching the Bots and talking with the humans who lived with the Bots. Didnt you once live in the land of Mayfair? he asked one couple whom he thought he recognized.

  Yes, they answered. But the king is lying to the people and telling them how mean and warlike the Bots are and you can see for yourself that that is not true.

  William began to shake his head in disbelief. I cant get over the fact that the king is nothing more than a liar, he said.

  We must go now, said Wisker. It is time for us to go back and tell the rest of the people the truth.

  No, screamed William suddenly. I dont want to go back. I want to stay here where people can trust each other, humans and Bots alike. Suddenly William threw his hands up into the air and ran off into the crowd like a crazy man, kicking and screaming.

  Wisker waved his wand. Wibbledy, wobbledy, bibblede de, William, come right back to me, he intoned.

  The magic spell lifted William right off the ground and put him right back with Wisker. It is time for us to go back to the land of Mayfair and tell the people the truth, Wisker told him.

  No, I cant go back, its all a lie, said William. He quickly pushed Wisker down and ran off. Wisker tried to find him with his mag
ic wand but William, zigged and zagged through the crowd and Wisker couldnt find him anywhere.

  Wisker summoned the Bot police, but William was long gone, probably hiding somewhere in the shadows, and they were unable to find him either.

  Now I have a dilemma on my hands, Wisker told the Bot police. I need William to tell the people of Mayfair that the land of the Bots is real and now I have nothing. I wont use my magic to force him to come back, but Im afraid that he may be in shock from all of the advanced technology he has seen, the speeding vehicles and the speed of light trains. I really need to find him to make sure that he is all right.

  We will help you look for him, the Bot police assured him. Between us we ought to be able to find him.

  Wisker waved his magic wand and flew off, looking for William here, there and everywhere. He conjured up large snakes to help him. He waved his magic wand and pouf, out of thin air, there were the snakes. They were each ten feet in length and very colorful. So colorful as a matter of fact that they glowed in the dark. They each had a great sense of smell and Wisker used his magic to let them know exactly how William smelled. Not that William had a bad smell you understand, but each person has their own particular odor and this would make it easier for them to perhaps find William. I want you to go quickly and search the grounds and sniff out the city to find William, he told them. The snakes set off on a mission to find William. They went through the sewers and water drains and under the darkest tunnels. The snakes searched and searched but found nothing. They slithered through the streets, knocking over trash cans, crawling up walls, and looking through windows, but they could not find William. Finally they came upon an old drunken man sleeping behind a trash can. He had the odor of William about him, but it wasnt very strong. Still, they werent sure if he was William or not, so some of them slithered up the mans body and held him tight, while they all summoned Wisker with their minds.

  Wisker appeared within seconds and looked at the man. This is not him, Wisker told the snakes and they quickly let him go. Wisker noticed that the man was wearing Williams jacket. You are wearing my companions jacket, he told the man. That is why my snake friends picked up the scent. How do you come to have my companions jacket?

  The man answered but he was so drunk that Wisker could not understand a word that he said. Wisker asked him again but it was all to no avail, he couldnt understand a word that the man was saying. Well, thought Wisker finally. It is time to go and I guess Im going to have to go back to Mayfair empty handed. Wisker let out a deep sigh. I know what the truth is and I will tell it to the people but deep down inside, I am afraid that the people of the land of Mayfair will never, never believe me.

  Chapter two

  The Liar