Exhausted by their adventures, the Beans trudged along the shore of the island. The storm had subsided some time ago, but they were still soaked from the monsoon-like rains, and the wet clothes of Neil and Jack clung to their skin like damp shrouds. Nibbler and Murphy were also drenched, and they periodically shook themselves to try to rid their fur coats of moisture.
Though the lightning, rain, and wind had vanished, the clouds remained. They had transformed from dark black to a much lighter gray color, but they still blocked the sun, and the Beans were chilly in their soaked condition.
When they had fled the crumbling cavern of Hickory Stick Bill, the Beans had found themselves in a terrifying, exhilarating display of nature’s wrath. With no shelter available, they had no choice but to keep running, desperately seeking a place to hide from the lightning.
As they had sprinted along, they had searched for another cave, or even a low valley that would have offered some protection. But there was nothing to be found, and so they had continued running, putting as much distance between themselves and the battling monsters as possible.
They had run through the rocky cove, leaving the cavern behind, continuing down the beach. Behind them, they could still hear the clashing of the beasts and the crashing of boulders.
Within moments of their retreat, the storm had reached the apex of its powers. A rapid sequence of chain lightning filled the air, centered on the cavern in the cove. The air had become so bright, the Beans had no choice but to close their eyes against the intensity of it. Thunder had roared so loudly, it deafened them for a moment.
Following that final display of nature’s awesome power, the storm had ceased. So sudden was the stoppage of rain and wind, it was as if somebody had thrown a switch. With the storm having subsided, the Beans had permitted themselves to slow to a walk, since there was no longer any immediate danger they could detect.
Once their ears had adjusted to the relative silence, they had realized they could hear nothing of the former chaos. There was no trace of Pan Gu’s bellows, or the Crab King’s shrieks, or the collapsing of massive amounts of rock.
Now, they continued forward, trudging through the sand. Since Lefty had stayed behind on the beach, the Beans knew they could return to him by simply following along the coastline. Eventually, they would circle back to the stranded scientist, no matter the distance that separated them.
The consequences of their unlikely adventure had finally caught up to them, and a great weariness had washed over them. Their limbs were heavy, and walking along the beach felt more like trying to make their way through quicksand. With the storm gone, the ocean was once more at peace, and the Beans found the rhythmic breaking of the waves to be nearly hypnotic, lulling them to sleep on their feet.
“I hope Uncle Lefty’s okay,” Jack said quietly.
“Woof,” Nibbler added, in an unusually somber manner.
“And I hope Noodles is okay, too. But Lefty should be able to restore him,” Neil said optimistically.
He looked down at the robot’s spherical head, which was currently clutched against his stomach. Since they had slowed to a walk, the two boys had taken turns carrying the robotic noggin. Though it was not particularly heavy, Neil and Jack were so exhausted, they found that their arms quickly grew tired.
As they did so often in their lives, they shared the burden between them. It was good to both be a friend, and to have friends.
To look at Noodles’ noggin, it was remarkable to think of just how much the robot had been through today. The Beans’ amazing journey had begun aboard the Quantum Conundrum. Since that time, Noodles had been shipwrecked, lost his head, been abducted by Hickory Stick Bill, sacrificed to the Crab King, and nearly swallowed by Pan Gu.
It was one heck of a day, by any measure.
The Beans were thrilled to have Noodles’ lost head back in their possession, but they were still sad to see it so devoid of activity. They were accustomed to seeing his blue eyes bright with synthetic life, his antennae ears swiveling about, and his smile-shaped speaker mouth uttering beeps and boops that were surprisingly effective at conveying his meaning.
At the moment, there was no such activity from Noodles. His eyes were dull, his antennae ears were unmoving, and his mouth was silent. Sand covered the surface of his head, as well as the many scrapes and scuffs that had accumulated over the course of the adventure.
Noodles’ current condition was a strange contrast to the way Neil and Jack had always seen him previously. They reflected upon the lively personality of Noodles - the way he had always been so cheerful and energetic, always ready to break into dance at the sound of some good old fashioned funk music.
“Do you remember the first time we came across Noodles, and we heard him thrashing around in Lefty’s basement?” Neil asked.
“Who could forget that? We thought my uncle was some sort of mad scientist, keeping a monster in his laboratory,” Jack chuckled. “But we were met with a pleasant surprise, when we finally learned the truth of the matter.”
Neil joined his friend in laughter, recalling the exciting events that had followed their first meeting with Noodles, as they had confronted Jasper, Ebenezer, and their diabolical Mecha-Machine. As they laughed and recounted their memories, the clouds finally broke apart, dissipating into the blue sky that was revealed. The sun struck them with its full force, instantly warming them, and they felt their spirits lift higher.
“Now that’s a welcome sight,” Jack sighed, turning his face to the sun and pausing to enjoy the moment.
Neil did likewise, closing his eyes and enjoying the heat. Nibbler lifted his snout to the sky, reveling in the sunshine. Murphy held his arms wide, embracing the warming rays of light, and he uttered a squirrelly sigh of contentment.
Keeping his eyes closed as he absorbed the sunlight, Neil asked, “Did you hear what Hickory Stick Bill said when we were leaving? He said we aren’t so bad, as far as kids go. I think that’s about the closest thing to a compliment you’ll ever get out of that guy.”
“I knew we were growing on him!” Jack laughed.
After several moments of blissfully standing in the warmth of the sun, they lowered their faces to look ahead again. Not too far in the distance, they saw something glittering. Squinting their eyes and peering ahead, they realized what they were seeing was the metallic body of Noodles, reflecting the rays of sunshine. Lefty leaned against the robot, wistfully looking out to sea.
“It’s Lefty!” the two of them shouted at once.
The Beans began running down the beach, their exhaustion forgotten in their excitement. Nibbler was easily the fastest, and he led the way, woofing as he went, while Murphy held onto his back as best he could, bouncing and giggling like a squirrel gone mad with delight.
Chapter Thirty
The Things We’ve Seen
The Green Beans, Volume 4: Shipwrecked on Smuttynose Island Page 29
