The Eleventh Ring (Bartholomew the Adventurer Trilogy Book 1)

by Tom Hoffman

  He was exhausted and gasping for breath when he finally reached the other side of the plain. He was not used to running such long distances. Oliver was right – adventuring was exhausting. He forced himself to rest briefly, then looked up at the trees he had chosen for landmarks. There were two towering spruce trees about fifty feet apart with a stand of smaller trees growing between them. The pterosaur had glided in between the two tall trees, then disappeared down behind the shorter ones. Maybe there was a nest there. Did pterosaurs even have nests?

  He still needed a weapon before he went in after Oliver. He looked at the rope in his paw and the image of an ancient rabbit warrior appeared in his mind – an ancient rabbit warrior carrying a sling. That could work. The rope he had was long enough, and he could make a pouch for the sling from a piece of his coat.

  He scoured the area and found a shard of jagged rock which he used to saw the rope into two equal lengths, then tore off a square piece of his coat lining. Using the jagged stone he soon had two round holes drilled in the pouch, and tied one rope to each hole. His sling was complete. He found a round stone the size of a small egg and slipped it into the sling’s pouch. Holding both ends of the sling in one paw, he swung it around in a wide arc. When it was going fast enough to make a low roaring sound he released one end of the rope. The stone shot out with a shrill whistling noise and streaked off into the distance. Unfortunately, it was traveling in exactly the opposite direction of the one he’d intended.

  He tried again. And again. Eventually he could send the rock shooting out in the general direction of his choosing. The pterosaurs were huge and would make easy targets, so extreme accuracy wasn’t paramount. He found himself calculating the odds that a flying stone would stop a gigantic shrieking pterosaur, and the odds did not seem to be falling in his favor.

  Pushing his way through the dense trees, he emerged on the other side but found no nests on the ground and no sign of anything in the trees. Scanning the side of the mountain, he eyed a large black circle about fifty feet up the rocky slope and let out a groan. It was the entrance to a cave. After his experience in the Cavern of Silence, he had sincerely hoped he would never have to enter a cave again, never mind one housing prehistoric pterosaurs with a taste for rabbit. It only took one thought of Oliver’s plight, however, to send Bartholomew scrambling up the rocky slope to the cave entrance.

  Chapter 6

  The Cave

  Bartholomew crept into the cave, concealing himself behind a large boulder. Once his eyes were accustomed to the dark, he studied the layout of the cave. It was more of a tunnel than a cave, extending back a good distance then curving around out of sight. The cave floor had bones scattered across it, and Bartholomew did his best to avoid looking at them. Slipping a rock into the pouch of his sling, he crept forward, hugging the wall as he moved deeper into the tunnel. When he reached the curve he stopped, listening carefully. He could hear a snuffling noise and hoarse whistling sound. He inched forward and peered around the corner. There was a massive pterosaur curled up on the floor sleeping. Several hundred feet past the pterosaur lay the duplonium wagon, but he saw no sign of Oliver. Suppose the pterosaur had already... he couldn’t finish his thought. Somehow, he had to get past the beast and find Oliver. He gingerly removed his boots, moving over to the wall farthest from the pterosaur. Trying to avoid even the slightest noise he crept forward, step by silent step making his way past the sleeping monster.

  He’d done it. This wasn’t so bad. If he found Oliver they could slip back out past the pterosaur.

  The duplonium wagon sat almost a hundred feet ahead of him. He blinked several times, attempting to focus on the dark rocky wall behind the wagon. The wall looked as if it was moving slightly. Then the realization hit him – it wasn’t a rocky wall, it was the broad wing of a second sleeping pterosaur. His heart started pounding. Could a thumping heart wake a pterosaur? He clenched his teeth and crept forward.

  He was only twenty feet from the wagon when the pterosaur sleepily moved its huge wing. Like an oversized fan it sent a torrent of air towards Bartholomew, stirring up a great cloud of dust along the way. The dust flew into Bartholomew’s nostrils and within seconds he knew he was going to sneeze. He made a dash for the wagon. Maybe he could climb inside before–

  “ACHOOOO!!”

  The pterosaur let out a horrific shriek, it’s gigantic wings flailing about. Bartholomew raced towards the wagon. A voice cried out, “In here!” Oliver was still in the wagon. Bartholomew reached the wagon and leaped up onto it. He saw Oliver hidden between two stacks of wooden crates and slipped safely down just as the pterosaur’s talons crashed onto the crates, splitting several of them open.

  “Ah, just in time. I assume you are here to rescue me again?” Oliver grinned at Bartholomew.

  “To be quite honest, I’m not precisely certain why I’m here. I thought I was on my way to find Clara, not to spend the afternoon in a cave filled with hungry pterosaurs.”

  “It’s really not as bad as it seems.”

  “You have an escape plan?”

  “No, no, nothing like that. But I’ve been having quite an enjoyable time studying the behavioral patterns of pterosaurs. The male always sleeps in the back of the cave and the –”

  “Have you studied the part where the pterosaurs pull the two rabbits out of the duplonium wagon and snack on their crunchy bones?”

  “Oh dear, I hadn’t really focused on that aspect of their behavior. I suppose I was just trying to ignore it. Do you have an escape plan?”

  “Nothing other than sneaking past them, and that didn’t work especially well on the way in. Do they ever leave the cave?”

  “One of them always stays here. I suspect they are guarding their... their...”

  “Bedtime snacks?”

  “Oh dear, I’d better think of something. All right, let me see, what do we have in the wagon? There is the duplonium powered electric motor which propels the wagon, and we have four Mark III Vacuumators. We have no weapons of any kind, and at any rate I would hate to destroy such magnificent creatures as these.”

  “Why in the world did you bring four vacuumators?”

  “Not now please, I’m trying to think.” Minutes ticked by while Oliver mumbled to himself using incomprehensible scientific jargon. Finally he said something Bartholomew could understand. “I have a plan. It’s based on sound scientific principles, so it’s certain to succeed.” He twisted over sideways and reached inside one of the cracked wooden crates, pulling out two large rubber raincoats. “This should do nicely. Sit on this and put your paws inside the sleeves.”

  “You’re expecting rain?”

  “Stop being ridiculous and do what I say. Now, help me uncrate one of the vacuumators.”

  Ten minutes later they had a vacuumator sitting in front of them. “Let’s see... where did I pack the electrical gear?” Oliver poked around some canvas sacks, finally pulling out an old leather satchel. He opened it, removing a few tools and a roll of wire. Soon wires were running from inside the vacuumator to the metal walls of the wagon. “Perfect. Here is my plan. We don’t need to sneak out. The wagon will carry us out of the cave. I have connected the electrical generator in the vacuumator to the wagon itself, sending a powerful electrical current through the metal walls of the wagon. As long as you remain seated on the rubber raincoat with your paws in the sleeves, you will be insulated. If you accidentally touch the metal wall or the floor of the wagon you will be instantly electrocuted.”

  “Ah, your plan is sounding more and more enticing. I especially like the part about being instantly electrocuted.”

  “Stop acting like a bunny and pay attention. I’m going to start up the vacuumator now and electrify the wagon. The noise will wake both pterosaurs, but we should be perfectly safe in the electrified wagon, unless they knock the wagon over, in which case we will both be electrocuted. That sounds quite bad until one compares it to being ripped apart and eaten by a pterosaur.”

  Bartholomew bega
n to feel light headed. “Please stop talking. Just do whatever you have to do.”

  “Very well. I will start the vacuumator.” He flipped a small lever and the vacuumator’s tremendous roar filled the cave. The pterosaurs shrieked wildly, flapping their wings and clawing at the rocky floor. The gigantic male pterosaur behind them half leaped and half flew over the wagon, scrambling towards the front of the cave. Both pterosaurs moved out of sight past the curve in the cave.

  “Fascinating. This is an unexpected and highly beneficial consequence. The sound of the vacuumator has scared the pterosaurs. It must resemble the cry of some fearsome predator. This is excellent. I will get the wagon moving.” He flipped a switch and the wheels began to turn. Unfortunately, it was moving in the wrong direction and bumped against the back wall.

  “A minor setback – I will simply flip this yellow switch here, and push this button on the control panel and that should do it. Hold on, here we go again.”

  Oliver turned the red dial and the wagon began rolling in the proper direction. When they reached the curve in the cave, Oliver turned the red dial down and the wagon came to a halt.

  “Perfect. Now, you need to get out and turn the wheels so we are heading towards the cave entrance.”

  “What? I have to get out? You do realize there are two hungry pterosaurs out there who think rabbits are delicious?”

  “Of course I do. It will only take a moment. Leap out, push the arm towards the cave entrance and jump back in. Nothing to it.”

  Bartholomew looked dubious, but said. “All right, here I go.”

  “WAIT!! I need to disconnect the wires or... you know... zzzzzzt!” Oliver quickly unscrewed a connector and pulled the wire loose. “Go!”

  Bartholomew leaped over the edge of the wagon and grabbed the long steering arm, lining it up with the cave entrance. The two pterosaurs shrieked and began moving towards him, angrily clawing at the cave floor. He leaped back into the wagon and slipped down between the crates. “It’s done.”

  Bartholomew reconnected the wire, sending current through the wagon wall. The pterosaurs were almost upon them. One of them touched the wagon with its wing, sending out a brilliant shower of sparks. The pterosaur roared in pain and pulled back, flapping its wing angrily. Oliver turned the red dial and the wagon moved forward towards the cave entrance. The two pterosaurs were becoming increasingly agitated.

  Bartholomew hollered out to Oliver. “I have an idea. Unhook the wires, turn the vacuumator up as loud as it will go and throw it out of the wagon. Maybe they’ll attack it instead of us.”

  “Yes, that might work. Hold on!” Oliver disconnected both wires and turned the vacuumator to full power. The roar was deafening and the pterosaurs were leaping up and down, jabbing their long beaks towards the wagon. “Okay, help me throw it out.” Together they picked it up, and hurled it as far as they could from the wagon. The vacuumator sent up a huge dust cloud, making it almost impossible to see. The pterosaurs could no longer control themselves and scrambled past the wagon to the roaring vacuumator. Oliver turned the red dial and the wagon shot forward out of the cave, bouncing and rolling down the steep slope until it crashed into the dense stand of trees. Luckily they were not crushed by the heavy shifting crates.

  “Should we leave the wagon here?”

  “No, it has all our supplies in it. I think we can go around the trees. The vacuumator should keep the pterosaurs busy for a while. Oliver tugged at the wagon and the large wheels gripped the rocks. “The coating on the wheels is my own invention and provides far greater traction than ordinary rubber.”

  Like a great awkward mountain goat the wagon crept over the rocks and boulders and down the slope of the mountain. At long last they found themselves on the flat plain again. They had escaped the pterosaurs.

  “Let’s go before they come after us.”

  The roaring vacuumator in the cave abruptly went silent.

  “That’s not good. The pterosaurs have destroyed the vacuumator. Do you think they’ve forgotten about us?”

  “I don’t think so.” Bartholomew pointed above the trees. The two pterosaurs had taken to the air and were circling around to gain altitude, preparing for a dive.

  “Should we hide in the wagon?”

  “No, they’ll grab it like they did last time. We can hide under it, but if they take the wagon away we’ll be in the open.” They rolled under the wagon, peering out at the pterosaurs circling overhead. Both pterosaurs pulled their wings in at the same moment, entering into a steep dive. Bartholomew could hear the whistling sound as they shot through the air towards them. He hoped the end would be quick.

  When the pterosaurs were still about a hundred feet above them a brilliant blue beam of light shot out from the side of the mountain and hit both pterosaurs. They shrieked and swerved wildly, opening their wings and ending the dive. Rather than circling around to gain altitude, they turned away, flying towards the other end of the valley.

  “What was that blue light?”

  “I have no idea.” They rolled out from under the wagon and looked up at the mountain.

  “There!” Bartholomew looked to where Oliver was pointing and saw a lone figure standing on a ledge halfway up the mountain. He wore a long green cloak with a hood pulled over his head. He raised one arm, pointing towards the end of the valley. A brilliant blue beam shot out across the plains and the figure vanished.

  “I think he wants us to leave.”

  “I believe we should oblige him.”

  Oliver grabbed the wagon handle and they began their march to the end of the valley. They reached it by the time the sun was sinking below the mountains.

  “This was a remarkable adventure, my friend. We escaped the clutches of two deadly pterosaurs with the aid of a mysterious cloaked figure who shoots beams of blue light from his paw to control the monstrous flying prehistoric beasts.”

  “You know, when you put it that way, it’s probably best if we never tell anyone about this.”

  “Ha! You may be right about that. I know quite a number of rabbits at the Excelsior Corporation who would not be ready for a tale such as that. How about we make camp here and open a lovely bottle of wine to celebrate our escape?”

  As they sat next to the campfire eating dinner, Oliver couldn’t stop talking about the pterosaurs.

  “I am utterly baffled by the appearance of these creatures. The more I think about it, the more I believe I can categorically state it is impossible for them to exist. They simply cannot be. That leaves only one possible alternative.” His voice had become strangely hollow. “They are magical flying demons from another realm.” He waited expectantly for Bartholomew to respond.

  “Good heavens, did you see that??”

  Oliver’s head whipped around. “See what? Is it a demon??”

  “No, just a rather large bumblebee flying past.”

  Oliver frowned. “You are mocking me?”

  “Regarding the magical flying demons from another realm?”

  “Ah. Now I see. For an unscientific rabbit, you have a rather ingenious mind. You are saying that bumblebees cannot fly and the pterosaur cannot exist, and yet they do. Hmm, I never thought I would see the day, but you may have taught me a rather humbling lesson, Bartholomew. The things we find mysterious and magical are simply things which science currently does not understand. Once they thought lightning bolts came from Zeus, and now we have used that same force to escape the clutches of a modern pterosaur. I suppose there are colonies of them living in caves up there. This area has barely been touched by rabbits. Who knows how long the pterosaurs have been here. Maybe one day we will return to investigate the flying beasts of Pterosaur Valley.”

  “Pterosaur Valley it is, my friend.”

  “Who do you think the figure in the green cloak was?”

  “I cannot even begin to imagine, but to me he is a far greater mystery than the pterosaurs.”

  ‘We will leave that mystery for another day. Would you care for a second glass of
wine?”

  “I think I will retire for the evening. This day has quite exhausted me. It’s not every day I manage to escape the clutches of a pair of magical flying demons.”

  Oliver hurled a small stone at him.

  Chapter 7

  Oliver T. Rabbit vs.

  The Tree of Eyes

  By the following afternoon they were looking down into the valley where the Tree of Eyes would be found. Bartholomew pointed to a distant section of the valley saying, “The tree is located in that area. It will take us at least two days to get there. I’m anxious for you examine it and give me your expert scientific opinion.” He could barely keep a straight face. Oliver T. Rabbit versus the Tree of Eyes – it would be a momentous face to face meeting between science and the unknown. The irresistible force meets the unmovable object.

  For the next two days they weaved their way through the vast forests on their way to the Tree of Eyes. On the morning of the third day, they parked the duplonium wagon next to the dense wall of trees surrounding the clearing where the Tree of Eyes grew.

  “Oliver, why don’t you go ahead in while I finish unpacking a few things. The Tree of Eyes is right on the edge of the lake. I should warn you that some rabbits say the Tree of Eyes may possesses the power of speech.” It took every ounce of his self-control to maintain his serious expression.

  “Very well, I shall use my vast array of scientific skills to examine this Tree of Eyes and determine its true nature. It shouldn’t take long.”

  “Mmm hmm,” was all Bartholomew could manage to say.

  Bartholomew waited until Oliver disappeared into the trees, then crept in after him. He ducked down when he spotted the Tree of Eyes, crawling forward until he had a clear view of the tree. He rubbed his paws together with anticipation as Oliver approached it.