Orville Mouse and the Puzzle of the Clockwork Glowbirds (Orville Wellington Mouse Book 1)

by Tom Hoffman

  “You were a surprise to everyone, Orville, especially Master Marloh. He knew right away you were special, a gifted mouse with the potential to become a far more powerful shaper than Draken could ever be. Draken sensed this also and it frightened him. That’s why he ordered Master Marloh to kill us both. Draken wasn’t aware of my connection to Papa. He thought I was simply a friend of yours who could cause trouble if you disappeared.”

  “So you and Master Marloh hatched this plan together?”

  “We did. The plan had two parts. First, Draken must believe that Master Marloh had killed us both, and second, I needed to find solid, tangible proof that Draken killed Papa. Master Marloh came up with the ingenious solution, telling Draken he was going to send us through a spectral doorway into a nest of huge carnivorous centipedes on Periculum. Draken couldn’t stop laughing when Master Marloh told him, assuming we would meet a horrible end inside the belly of a hungry centipede. Master Marloh didn’t tell him about the pillar of rock he had shaped in the center of the pit. Now that we’re here and we’ve survived the centipedes, I need to find proof of Draken’s guilt.”

  “Do you know where... um... where your Papa was when he died?”

  “No, that’s what we have to find out. How hard could it be to search an entire planet for something which may or may not even exist?”

  “Hmm, I see what you’re saying.”

  “I do have two possible leads. First, when Papa and Draken came to Periculum they arrived in a small Quintarian scout ship. It’s a silver egg-shaped craft used by the Elders during the Anarkkian Wars. The Metaphysical Adventurers found an ancient storage depot on Nirriim with half a dozen scout ships still in working order and brought them back to Earth. We know for certain that Draken returned from Periculum without the scout ship. If we can locate the ship then we’ve probably found where Papa died.”

  “What’s the second lead?”

  “The second lead is what Papa and Draken were searching for, but did not find – the ancient monastery.”

  “You have no idea where the monastery might be?”

  “Papa thought it was near the ocean, that’s all I know. He also said the Anarkkians had been looking for it during the war but they never found it.”

  “It’s not much to go on, but it’s something. We have to cross the Senyph Ocean to get to the World Doors, so we may as well just keep heading east. We can rest here for a few more days and then move on. At least we don’t have to fight our way through that jungle.”

  Sophia let go of the two copper wires she was holding. “Okay, Proto, you’re fully charged, and it’s time for me to get some sleep.”

  Proto gave a squawk. “Have a lovely rest, and don’t worry about a thing. I shall be soaring through the night sky keeping a sharp lookout for monstrous nocturnal creatures gnashing their teeth, slithering and slinking about, hunting for tasty snacks.”

  Orville snorted. “Thanks, I’ll sleep like a mouseling now.”

  Chapter 18

  The Blue Mouse

  A gentle breeze carried the delicate fragrance of ten thousand newly bloomed orange blossoms across the balmy summer air. It was far too early in the season for the trees to be bearing fruit, but the intoxicating scent of the blossoms floating through the grove was more than enough to satisfy Orville Wellington Mouse.

  “Isn’t this an amazing place, Sophia? I could sit under one of these orange trees for a hundred years and dream my life away.”

  “Orville, you’re having the dream again. The one about the orange grove and the big blue tree.”

  “Mmm hmmm... lovely summer day, I must agree.”

  “It’s a dream. You’re having a dream.”

  “I’m sorry, did you say something? Aren’t the orange blossoms lovely this time of year?”

  “Orville, I want you do something for me, all right?”

  “Sure. Did you want me to pick a few of those orange blossoms for you?”

  “Please pay attention, Orville. I want you to look very, very carefully at your paws. This is something Master Marloh taught me. Look very carefully at your paws and focus on them until they become sharp and real.”

  “Okay.” Orville held out his paws in front of him. There was a soft, hazy cloud-like look about them and it was difficult to hold them still, hard to focus on them. “Hmm... this is not as easy as I thought it would be. Wait, I think I’ve got it–” Orville stopped in stunned surprise. A very strange thing happened when he finally brought his paws clearly into focus. Not only did his paws became real, but so did the dream world around him. A powerful sense of awareness flooded through him and he was fully present in the moment. He was wide awake. He was wide awake inside his dream of the orange grove. He gazed dumbstruck at the world around him, then looked at Sophia. “What is this place? Is this real?”

  “It’s real for now.”

  “Wait, are you saying every time I dream I’m creating a real world?”

  “It’s real enough while you’re here, that’s what I’m saying. Think of a bubble floating up from the bottom of the ocean, a lovely silvery round bubble. As you watch it floating up through the water it looks solid, with a very defined form. But what happens when the bubble reaches the surface of the water? Where does that bubble go? Where does the roundness go? Has anything been lost, or are you just looking at the bubble from a new perspective?”

  “I’d never thought of that before. So when I wake up from a dream it’s still there but I’m just seeing it differently?”

  “Exactly. The dream is still inside your head, but your center of awareness is no longer inside the dream, it’s now outside the dream. Everything changes when you’re outside the dream.”

  “Why does everything seem so real now? The orange trees look just like they would if I was awake and in Muridaan Falls.”

  “You are awake, you’re just not awake in Muridaan Falls. You’re awake in this orange grove dream.”

  “Well, whatever the reason, I like this place. Now that I’m awake, I’m going to go take a good close look at that big blue tree.” Orville set off through the orange grove toward the enormous blue tree. “What a magnificent tree. I wonder how old it is? Wait, maybe it’s not old at all. Maybe I just created it. Maybe it’s brand new but it only looks a thousand years old.”

  Orville stepped closer to the huge tree and ran his paw over the smooth white bark. Out of the corner of his eye he caught a sudden movement. “Sophia?”

  Orville looked up, but instead of seeing Sophia he saw a plump elderly mouse wearing a bright blue robe peering out from behind the tree trunk. Orville popped up a sphere of defense. “Who are you? What are you doing in my dream?”

  The blue mouse’s gaze was unwavering, but he did not answer.

  “Why are you staring at me like that?” Orville dropped his sphere of defense. He sensed the blue mouse was not here to harm him. When he focused his awareness directly on the blue mouse he felt something quite unexpected. He felt great love and deep compassion. “Do I know you?”

  Orville heard a quiet voice echo through his mind. “Is he true?”

  Orville approached the blue mouse. “Is that you talking? Is who true?”

  The voice in Orville’s head spoke again. “Perhaps I am not in your dream, perhaps it is you who are in my dream.” With a flash of light the blue mouse vanished and Orville found himself back in his cot, gazing up at a starry Periculum night sky.

  “Creekers, what was that all about?”

  Chapter 19

  A Sticky Wicket

  “Sophia, did you dream about the orange grove last night? I dreamed about it again and you were there and there was an old mouse wearing a blue robe. He said he wasn’t in my dream, but I was in his dream.”

  “That’s strange. Now that you mention it, I do seem to remember dreaming about the orange grove, and I think you were there.”

  “You taught me how to wake up inside the dream by focusing on my paws.”

  “I do that all the time! It’s so
mething Master Marloh taught me.”

  “Creekers, that’s what you told me in my dream. Well, in someone’s dream. Why am I dreaming about this loopy orange grove anyway?”

  Sophia shook her head. “I don’t know. These kind of dreams take time to understand. Master Marloh says our inner voice can’t tell us too much, that we have to experience life without knowing what’s going to happen next. That’s how we learn. You’ll find out one day what it all means. In the meantime, we have to get to the Senyph Ocean.”

  Proto swooped down from the tree and landed on the picnic table. “Good morning, fellow adventurers. I trust you had a delightful sleep? I kept a watchful eye out for dreadful predatorial beasts with razor sharp teeth but there were none to be found.” Orville thought Proto sounded disappointed.

  “When do you sleep, Proto?”

  “Rabbitons have no need for sleep. We are at the ready twenty-four hours a day. While everyone else is sleeping, I am usually in the kitchen preparing tasty snacks and beverages, so being on this adventure is quite a change for me. I must say it’s all making me feel quite bold. Only yesterday I stepped bravely out of the Cube and made the long and treacherous trek down the rocky ravine. I even peeked out into Pavorak Gorge and was quite taken by how lovely it was. I have seen it many times on the glowbird records, but it’s different to be right there standing right next to it. Quite different indeed. I am also pleased to report there was not a single Anarkkian Attack Spider in sight.”

  “That’s wonderful, Proto! Good for you! I have high hopes that one day you’ll visit us in Muridaan Falls.”

  “Oh my, that would truly be an adventure, but first I’ll need to get you two safely home to Muridaan Falls. We must also press on and discover the truth about Sophia’s Papa, although I’m quite certain that dastardly Draken Mouse was behind it all. What a vile creature he is. I’d like to send a few A6 Warrior Rabbitons his way to give him a taste of his own villainous medicine.”

  Sophia laughed. “Thanks. I’m glad you’re on our side and not his.”

  Sophia converted their supplies back to thought clouds and the three adventurers headed east, Proto soaring high above them, scouting the area for ferocious carnivorous creatures with a hunger for tasty mice.

  The lush grassy plains with its patchwork of brilliant wildflowers continued on for mile after mile, permeating the air with the most delectable fragrances. After five days of trekking over the picturesque landscape Orville noticed an irregular dark line running across the horizon. “How many miles did Proto say it was to the ocean?”

  Sophia halted, setting her pack down. “Three hundred and twenty-nine. I think we’ve come almost a hundred miles, maybe a little more. We’re making good time.”

  “That dark line on the horizon must be a forest. It could be slow going depending on the kind of trees. Hard to tell from here how dense the growth is. Hopefully it’s not another jungle.” Orville scanned the sky, quickly spotting Proto high overhead and waving him down.

  “Proto!!”

  Proto banked sharply, performing two quick barrel rolls and a spectacular loop de loop maneuver as he shot down from the sky and skidded to a halt on the grass.

  “I’m impressed, Proto! I think you might be just the Rabbiton to pilot The Glowbird on our next adventure. You’re quite a gifted flyer.”

  “Oh my, thank you, Orville. I must admit, I am beginning to feel a certain confidence which I have never felt before. I believe adventuring suits me quite well. Now, how may I be of assistance?”

  Orville pointed to the dark line of trees in the distance. “I thought you might fly down to that forest and scout around so we don’t get surprised by some hideous beast slithering out from behind a tree, gnashing its razor sharp teeth.”

  “Oh my, an excellent idea. I’ll be right back!” Proto shot up into the air, swooping and soaring his way across the open plains until he was only a black speck in the brilliant blue sky.

  Two hours later he had not returned.

  Sophia frowned. “I’m worried about Proto. He really should have been back by now. Something may have happened to him.”

  “Do you think he ran out of power?”

  “No, I charged him this morning and it should keep him powered up for several days.”

  Orville slung his pack onto his shoulder. “We’d better go look for him.”

  Even walking at a brisk pace, it took Orville and Sophia four hours to reach the edge of the forest. It was farther away than it appeared because the trees were much larger than Orville had initially thought they were.

  “I don’t like the way this forest feels. Something’s not right. It’s too dark, for one thing.”

  Sophia nodded. “I feel it too. It’s as though there is something here that doesn’t belong here. It’s hard to describe the feeling I’m getting.”

  “What do you think happened to Proto?”

  “I don’t know. The good news is the real Proto is sitting back in the Cube watching a big bright display panel, and probably frosting little cakes while he’s doing it.”

  “Mmmm... those little cakes were good.”

  “Focus. We need to find Proto. He has to be in here somewhere. Better pop up a defense sphere. I really do not like what I’m feeling.”

  “Done. Let’s go.” Orville and Sophia stepped into the unnaturally dark forest. A bright light shot out from Orville’s paw, illuminating the path in front of them.

  Sophia studied the forest floor carefully, then raised an eyebrow. “Orville, look at the path. What do you see?”

  “Umm... well, nothing on the path itself. That’s... strange. There are leaves and fallen branches and those seed cones all over, but nothing on the path. It looks as if someone went through with a wide broom an hour ago and swept it clean.”

  “Let’s go.” Sophia moved further into the darkened forest, Orville’s orb of light leading the way. “Look, there’s another path, and it’s been cleared the same as this one. It’s getting darker.” An orb of light shot out from Sophia’s paw and joined Orville’s. “That’s better.”

  “Sophia! Look!” Orville pointed to the edge of the path.

  “Oh, dear.” Sophia leaned over and picked up a feather, examining it closely. “It’s synthetic, one of Proto’s.”

  “We’re on the right trail at least.”

  “But on the trail to where? To what? What happened to him? He was flying. How could something... catch him?”

  The two adventurers pushed deeper into the forest, their eyes scanning the ground for fallen feathers. Sophia found two more.

  “It’s getting darker. I have a feeling whatever has Proto is causing this darkness. We should... probably move toward the darkness, not away from it.” Orville sounded less than enthralled with his own suggestion.

  Sophia looked around her. “Over that way. It’s almost pitch black over there.” Another brilliant sphere of light flashed out from Sophia’s paw and sped through the forest to the darkest area.

  “Orville, do you see what I’m seeing?”

  “What is that? It’s not a rock, it’s too round. It’s shaped like a giant ball.”

  “Keep your sphere of defense as strong as you can. I don’t like this at all. It’s too strange, and it’s much too dark here.”

  Sophia and Orville crept silently through the trees, carefully avoiding any dry twigs or sticks that would give them away. Sophia sent out a soft green thought cloud to Orville. When the cloud touched him he heard Sophia’s voice in his mind.

  “Just use thought clouds from now on. I think something might be listening to us.”

  Orville sent back a pale blue thought cloud. “Good idea. That big ball looks like it’s all covered with moss. Or something that looks like moss.”

  Orville was now only fifteen feet away from the huge mossy ball. “It’s at least ten feet tall. I think it might be... moving.” That was the moment he spotted Proto lying motionless on top of the mossy sphere. “It’s Proto! I found him!” Orville let go of
caution and dashed toward the sphere.

  Sophia hollered, “NO! Don’t touch it! Don’t touch it!”

  It was too late. Orville made a tremendous leap up onto the ball in an attempt to grab Proto. Unfortunately, that was as far as he got. When he tried to climb down, he could not. He couldn’t move his arms or his legs. The surface of the ball was coated with a horrible sticky green substance which had first trapped Proto and now Orville.

  “It’s okay! My defense sphere is– aagghh! Wait! Something is oozing right through my defense sphere! It burns! I think this thing is trying to dissolve me! Help, Sophia!”

  Sophia’s heart was pounding. She knew if she tried to pull Orville off the sphere she would become its third captive. The creature was trying to eat Orville, trying to dissolve him with acid and then absorb his body. The creature’s stomach was on the outside, not on the inside. “I have to try something, but I don’t know if I can do it. If it doesn’t work, it might kill you!”

  Orville shrieked out, “Do it, Sophia! Whatever it is, do it now! It’s burning me!”

  Sophia held out both paws and a brilliant blue light blasted out. The instant the light hit Orville he vanished. A split second later he appeared on the ground next to Sophia. A hundred small lights flashed from her paws and water spilled out of the air onto Orville, washing away the deadly acid that covered him.

  “You did it! You did it!” Orville stood up and threw his arms around Sophia. A moment later he pulled away. “What did you do?”