The Collector of Remarkable Stories

by E. B. Huffer

  She was overjoyed to see The Giant alive and well, but horrified by his apparent attack on Archie. "What are you doing Giant? Stop it!" she cried.

  The Giant looked at Margie gravely. "We has to get out of here. We has to hurry. He's no good to you; he's no good to neither of us."

  "Why?" demanded Margie. "Tell me!" She took a few steps forward but stopped when The Giant pressed the pike further into Archie's neck. "He ain't no good, Margie. I'm telling you."

  Rohland grabbed Margie's arm and tried to pull her back. But Margie wasn't afraid. She marched over to The Giant and snatched the pike right out of his hands. "You're a fool, Giant! You have no idea what you're saying. Look at him. Does he look like he's a danger to me? Poor Archie, he was nothing but kind to you when you were injured. Now he is injured and all you can do is stick a spear in his neck. Well, shame on you."

  The Giant looked around at all the exhausted faces staring back at him and a single tear rolled down his cheek. Using his sleeve as a makeshift handkerchief, he lifted his arm to his face and was suddenly confronted by all manner of pikes, guns and crossbows aimed in his direction.

  "It's okay," said Margie to the weary, agitated army of men, "he's with me."

  The distant scream of a Malignant tore through the camp. Rohland lifted his arms. "Enough of this," he shouted. "We can't stay here. We have work to do. None of us knows when the Malignants will return. We need to get everyone back to camp." The Defenders didn't need telling twice and immediately set to work.

  "Giant," said Rohland looking The Giant up and down. "Could you guard the portal while we take the wounded back to camp? Use this horn to call us if you see anything suspicious. Anything at all. Got it?"

  The Giant looked across at Margie. It was clear he didn't want to do anything of the sort.

  "He will," said Margie, her jaw set resolutely. And that was that.

  A Fresh New Plan

  The next few days passed in a sombre silence. The injured were carried back to camp, their wounds cleaned and bandaged. No one talked about what had happened, but all of them wondered what the future held. The portal didn't belong to them; if the Malignants took control of it, it would be of little consequence to anyone in Limbuss. No one would even know, but in the world of the living, the Malignants (unseen by human eyes) would wreak havoc.

  On the portal steps, meanwhile, The Giant fumed. How could Margie have been so mean to him? Phagge had been right all along. Archie was a rotten egg; why else would Margie have turned against him? Why else would she have let Rohland talk to him like that?

  "I hate you!" he muttered to himself ripping some thorns off the branch of a prickly desert plant. "I hate you. I hate you ..."

  Suddenly, a low snarling sound caught The Giant's attention. He peered across the courtyard in the direction of a large rock. There he saw a large undefined shadow stretching out from behind it.

  "Who's there?" he shouted.

  "Don't be afraid, I mean you no harm," growled the creature. "Your friend, the mechanical spider, asked me to find you and direct you to the Darkest of All Places."

  The Giant stepped forward excitedly, his hands clasped as if in prayer. "Oh Spider Beast. I knew you wouldn' let me down."

  "Silence," demanded the voice. "If we are to succeed then you must follow my instructions without question."

  The Giant fell silent. "Who are you?"

  The shadow slowly emerged from behind the rock. It was Alpha, one of the most feared Dog Beasts.

  The Giant froze.

  "Don't be afraid," said Alpha. "I'm not here to hurt you. I give you my word."

  "How do I know you ain't a bad one?" asked The Giant.

  Alpha walked slowly towards The Giant, his head bent submissively low. When he reached The Giant, he opened his mouth and a small object fell out. It was a tattered, leather satchel; the one Margie had sought so desperately in the Emporium.

  The Giant picked up the bag and studied it as though studying a rare and delicate flower. "What I got to do?" he whispered happily. "Tell me and I won't let you down."

  Dusk was falling in the camp as Margie changed the dressing on Archie's leg.

  "Thank you," he whispered.

  Margie ignored him.

  "For everything. I behaved like an idiot when I actually have so much to thank you for."

  "You have nothing to thank me for. You were lucky."

  "You're blushing."

  "Am I?" she asked betraying no emotion.

  Archie pulled himself up onto his elbows. "The reason I never went in search of Nyabinghi and John was because I knew in my heart that they'd gone back home. To their own people. She never loved me the way I loved her. I was her liberator, her knight in shining armour. Nothing more."

  Margie tore the end of the bandage and tied a knot in it. She pulled it tight. Very tight. Archie took a sharp intake of breath.

  "Where did you learn to do that?" he asked tightly, his lungs filled with the air he'd just inhaled.

  Margie shrugged.

  Archie lay back down slowly, his body still shaky and weak from his fall.

  Margie tucked the loose end of the bandage in then gave it a final check for any creases. She was still angry with Archie but she was more angry with herself for the way she was behaving right now. She turned to face Archie. There was something about his helplessness that filled her with love for him. Her forehead creased as she mentally berated herself; and she suddenly felt embarrassed and ashamed. How is it, she thought, that a man can suddenly make you lose all sense and judgement. That the smallest drop of affection can poison your logic and make the smallest indiscretion, the innocuous twitch of an eyebrow, seem like a fully fledged call to war. She desperately wanted to say sorry, but she knew that Archie wasn't thinking about her.

  "She must have loved you. Who wouldn't?"

  Archie choked back a sob. For a long time he didn't say anything, a furrowed brow of pain the only clue as to what he was thinking. Eventually he spoke.

  "She wasn't waiting for me when I got here." He shook his head. Incredulous. "It was a shock. I'd spent my entire life thinking about her; looking forward to the day I died so I could see her again and tell her how sorry I was for not saving her that day. And when it finally happened she wasn't there." He looked at Margie with an embarrassed smile. "I don't blame her."

  A flash of anger crossed Archie's face. "But I do blame Carter. I chased him in life and I chase him in death. One day I will find him."

  "How can you be sure he's even here?"

  "I know he is. He uses the portal to trade between the two worlds."

  "Is that why you fight for control of the portal?"

  "No! If the Malignants gained control of the portal it would be a disaster. They are Demons. The world doesn't need any more of those."

  "What will you do if you ever find him?"

  "When I find him."

  "When you find him ..."

  "I don't really know."

  Margie stretched her back. She'd been sitting at an awkward angle for too long and she suddenly felt uncomfortable.

  "It feels different. Like it's weighted down with rocks," she said.

  Archie suddenly remembered Margie's journey and the promise he'd made her. He sat up quickly. "You have to go," he told her. "I will send Eddie to accompany you until I'm well enough to join you myself."

  Margie didn't have chance to answer him before their conversation was cut short by the droning sound of a horn.

  Moments later Rohland burst into the tent accompanied by Viljar. "It's The Giant," he said breathlessly. "I'm taking some of the men to investigate. Viljar will stay here with you two." And with that he was gone. The camp was enveloped in an eerie silence; nothing but the sound of The Giant's alarm call. Neither Margie, Archie or Viljar could bring themselves to speculate on what Rohland might find.

  At the Grotto, Rohland ground to a sudden halt when he saw The Giant (still clutching the tatty satchel) standing arrogantly in front of the portal.
No Malignants. No sign of struggle. Rohland instantly sensed trouble.

  As the Defenders came crashing through the clearing behind him, Rohland raised his arm, stopping them in their tracks.

  "Giant," called Rohland. "Why did you blow the horn?"

  "The Giant was following orders," barked Alpha as he emerged from behind the rock.

  Rohland's face hardened. "You stupid, foolish Giant," he hissed. "You have no idea what you have done."

  Alpha laughed and several more Dog Beasts emerged from the shadows.

  The Giant's face crumbled. This hadn't been the plan. This was not what Alpha had told him would happen. Why were the other Dog Beasts here? How could he have been so foolish?

  Rage exploded inside him like a hand grenade and flew out of him like a swarm of angry bees. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could he have been so stupid! He had to get to Margie. And quickly.

  The Giant stuffed the satchel into the waistband of his trousers and slowly, determinedly walked towards Rohland.

  Alpha issued a low, ominous growl.

  The Giant stopped. He was now looking directly into the face of Rohland. Surrounding him were around eight fully armed Defenders.

  Rohland was struck by The Giant's bravery, or was it stupidity? Not everyone would dare turn their back on Alpha. Those that did, rarely lived to tell the tale. Even so, he could only muster pity for The Giant, who reminded him of a cornered animal. He would have put him out of his misery if it wasn't for Margie and Archie.

  Instead he gave The Giant a small nod. It was a nod that spoke a thousand words. It was a nod that said, 'do it. Run. Go now ... before I change my mind'.

  The Giant didn't need telling twice. He raced forward, brushing past Rohland and disappeared into the undergrowth. As he ran, he could hear Alpha shout 'catch him', and then the sound of battle.

  He knew he didn't have long. It was only a matter of time before the Dog Beasts were in hot pursuit. By the time The Giant reached the camp, however, Margie was nowhere to be seen. The camp lay in ruins and Archie and Viljar lay still and silent on the ground.

  The Giant searched frantically for Margie amid the chaos, becoming ever more desperate as the minutes passed. He could hear the Dog Beasts in the distance; their wolf-like barks sending pangs of terror through his body.

  The Giant cupped his mouth and shouted Margie's name.

  "She's gone," whispered a voice croakily. It was Archie. He pointed to a small path leading out of the camp. "That way. The Dog Beasts followed her. Tell her that I will come for her. I will find her."

  Thankful and relieved, The Giant agreed.

  "Promise me," begged Archie.

  "Cross my heart and hope to die," he replied before scuttling into the darkness. If only he'd known how things would turn out; he might not have been so quick to make that particular promise ...

  Escape from the Dog Beasts

  Margie had no idea in which direction she was running. All she knew was that she needed to run. She needed to get away from the Dog Beasts which were quickly gaining on her, howling and barking as they thundered ever closer.

  Margie knew that the Dog Beasts could keep on running indefinitely. They were mechanical; would never grow tired and never grow hungry. There was no way she could outrun them.

  The trees were growing thicker now; the sky darker. Margie hoped that she might lose them if she ran far enough into the forest. The Dog Beasts were master hunters, but they were robots too. They couldn't climb trees.

  As she raced haphazardly through the woods, she rapidly scanned the branches, looking for one that might hold her weight. It was a risk. If she slowed down too much, the Dog Beasts would be on top of her in seconds. She had no idea why they were chasing her but she knew it couldn't be good. From a safe distance, she'd heard them demanding to know where she was. Watched them drag Viljar down when he'd pleaded ignorance. Then she'd watched them angrily tear the camp apart like wild animals.

  Archie's last frantic words to her as the Dog Beasts neared the camp were 'run, run,run'. And that's exactly what she did. On and on she raced, tripping and stumbling over tree roots; reaching and grabbing at branches which whipped and scratched her face and arms. Once or twice she attempted to climb a tree but the branches snapped, dropping her to the ground like rotten fruit.

  All of a sudden, and quite unexpectedly, she ran out of the forest into a clearing which was cloaked in a dazzling brightness, the intensity of which brought her to her knees. Unable to see or run, Margie panicked. What was this place? There had been no warning. It was like she'd simply run into a brick wall of light. Disorientated and frightened she wanted to keep on moving. The Dog Beasts would surely be gaining on her. But her eyes, still clenched shut, were either unwilling or unable to open.

  She was about to set off running blind when she sensed a shadow descend. Any scrap of hope she still had left, sank into her boots. Was this the Dog Beast? She listened intently. Not daring to move a muscle. Then, after a moment or two (and realising she hadn't been attacked) she slowly opened her eyes.

  The shadow had been caused by a huge dark cloud in the sky. No longer blinded by the sun, Margie was able to see what lay before her. And with that, her last vestige of hope disappeared as rapidly as a drop of rain on the parched earth.

  What lay before her was a vast open expanse of sand that extended as far as the eye could see. Illuminated by a midnight sun, it offered nothing in the way of protection from the hoards of dog beasts that were chasing her. No rocks, no dunes, no prickly desert plants. If even prickly plants couldn't survive here, she thought, in this desert then what hope was there for her?

  It was over. Margie knew this. And in that moment she felt a sense of overwhelming peace. The desert was silent, still and calm. There was no sound. And as she released the agony of the recent events and let them float away, Margie thought she remembered something. A memory. It was like an arm that reached out but that never connected with her. Only it was a voice that she couldn't quite grasp.

  A familiar and ominous noise snapped her out of her trance. It was the sound of the Dog Beasts barking and howling. They were very close now.

  For a moment Margie contemplated making her way back into the forest but she knew it was futile. The Dog Beasts would sniff her out in an instant. The battle was over. Margie lay down on the ground, staring up at the sky as the sun slowly burnt its way through the dark cloud and listened to the sound of the Dog Beasts drawing near. She didn't notice the ripple in the ground. Or how the ground seemed to lurch upwards then downwards as though some great creature was moving below its surface.

  Margie only noticed when a giant black claw emerged from the sand and rose several metres into the air. It was quickly followed by the vast black armoured body of a scorpion; the same scorpion that had snatched and devoured Grandma Doyle from the Circus of Freaks only weeks earlier. Margie was rooted to the spot, her body rigid with fear, her eyes wide with terror as the scorpion stood over her, its body rocking backwards and forwards, its stinger twitching aggressively.

  "Don't move nothing," hissed someone from the edge of the forest. "It can’t see you but it will feel you if you move." Margie recognised the voice instantly and had never felt more relieved. It was The Giant.

  So overwhelmed to hear his voice, she turned her head. She didn't care for one minute about the scorpion. If it snatched her, she wanted The Giant to be the last beautiful face she saw. But The Giant looked sad and exhausted. His shoulders hung forward and his arms hung loosely.

  "Oh Giant," she cried, "I'm sorry. Really I am."

  The Giant shook his head. "You ain't got nothing to be sorry for. You ain't done nothing but be kind to me. You're my best friend Margie May Langley. I just ain't been much of a friend to you."

  "FAIL!" roared a voice from behind him.

  Alpha and his army of Dog Beasts had finally caught up with them.

  "You just couldn't do as you were told, could you!" shouted Alpha edging closer to The Giant. "You’re just
a stupid circus freak. A nobody."

  "You tricked me," yelled The Giant. "You said you was here to help us."

  Ignoring the danger, The Giant took a couple of steps towards Margie. An expression of panic tore across her face as she waited for the scorpion to attack. "What are you doing?" she hissed.

  The Giant gently motioned for Margie to remain still then turned slowly to face Alpha. The two looked at each other in silence for a while before Alpha growled, "You think you can protect her."

  "I ain't a nobody," The Giant retorted. But he wasn't fooling anyone. Alpha was right. He was a nobody. He always had been. What was he thinking? Of course he couldn’t protect Margie. He couldn’t even protect his beloved twins. He was just a stupid weak minded Giant with his head in the clouds – that’s what people had always told him.

  Sensing The Giant’s uncertainty, Alpha continued. "You can walk away from this and you won't be harmed."

  The Giant turned back to Margie and scrabbled anxiously in his pocket for the small leather satchel. A glint of pride flashed across his face as he held it out to her. Margie stared at the bag, completely lost for words.

  "It's yours," urged The Giant, "the one you've been looking for."

  Margie could barely catch her breath. A thousand emotions coursed through her body and she forced back the tears. "Giant," she gasped, "It's not the one. It's not the bag in the photo."

  The Giant looked at Margie then turned to look at Alpha.

  Alpha started laughing. Then one by one the other Dog Beasts joined in too until they were all laughing.

  The Giant had never been so humiliated. Rooted to the spot with shame, everything around him seemed to slow right down. He couldn't focus; couldn't think. But he could see, hear and smell everything in high definition; the laughter, Margie's horrified expression, the old leather satchel ...