The Time Hunters

by Ashmore, Carl

  A look of uncertainty crossed Uncle Percy’s face. ‘I’m not sure.’

  ‘Was it to do with the Fleece?’

  ‘I really can’t say.’

  Becky nodded. ‘Was it you who first told him about time travel?’

  ‘Actually, no,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Bernard Preston did. That’s why you may have heard his name before. Bernard was your father’s tutor at University, you see, and your father his most gifted student. Your father, like Bernard, was also a keen archaeologist. So, inevitably, when Bernard introduced him to travelling, he took to it like a duck to water. Personally, I wasn’t sure he was ready for it.’

  ‘Why not?’ Becky probed.

  Uncle Percy smiled. ‘I just felt he possessed certain qualities that, shall we say, are not conducive to safe time travel.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Your father was somewhat hot-headed. I suppose I just wanted to keep him out of harms way, for a few more years at least.’

  Becky nodded. Then another question suggested itself. ‘How does someone else know I’ve got the pendant?’

  Uncle Percy tapped his chin. ‘That is the most intriguing question of all, isn’t it? My honest answer is that I don’t know. I suppose, if this traveller found out what the pendant was and realised your father had it, then it’s possible he could have travelled to the moment when he gave it to you. But that is just speculation.’

  A wave of alarm swept through Becky. ‘But that - that would mean I might have seen him.’

  ‘It’s possible. But there could be many ways for him to find out.’

  Becky took a moment to process the information. ‘Just one more question.’

  ‘Go ahead.’

  ‘What kind of time machine did dad have?’

  Before Uncle Percy could answer an excited voice behind him asked,

  ‘What are you two gassing about?’ Joe’s face shone with sweat. ‘Becky, come and hang off Edgar’s horns while he exercises. It’s great fun.’

  Becky grinned. Joe picked the least appropriate times to interrupt. ‘I’m coming.’ She walked to over to Edgar and turned back to see Uncle Percy, a spark had returned to his face as his lips formed a sentence.

  ‘An ice-cream van.’

  Becky’s heart fluttered. His time machine had been an ice-cream van. She remembered it. It was her first memory; she’d been four years old, sat on the lawn and pulling the legs off a doll, when he drove a ramshackle pink ice cream van up the drive. To her mum’s embarrassment, he spent months renovating it. Then, as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared - the same ice cream van that to this day, remained Becky’s favourite vehicle in the whole world.

  *

  Becky and Joe played with Edgar for the next twenty minutes, dangling from his horns as he turned until they whizzed round like a bizarre spinning top. All the while, Uncle Percy remained at the prow, preoccupied with the sky. He had a pair of what he called Amnoculars and trained them above. Becky looked up but could see nothing but a tiny speck, which she assumed was a gull. She watched as Uncle Percy lowered the Amnoculars and whispered in Will’s ear.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Becky asked, walking over.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ Uncle Percy replied. ’But do you see that bird?’

  She looked up at the sky and squinted. ‘Just about.’

  ‘It’s been following us for hours …’

  ‘So?’

  ‘I think I’ve seen it before,’ Uncle Percy added.

  ‘So?’

  ‘It was at Bowen Hall on Christmas Eve, the night Bernard was murdered.’ He nodded at Will.

  Becky reeled with horror as Will loaded an arrow into his bow and pointed it into the air. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Do it, Will,’ Uncle Percy said coolly.

  ‘NO!’ Becky cried. But it was too late. The arrow had been fired.

  Becky watched in dismay as it pierced the bird’s neck and plummeted to the sea. With a leap, Uncle Percy jumped in after it.

  Becky was hysterical and glared at Will. ‘YOU MURDERER!’

  Uncle Percy swam over, but the bird vanished. Taking a gulp of air, he plunged underwater and seized its ankles, appearing on the surface seconds later. Becky watched as her Uncle swam towards them, dragging the bird’s carcass behind him. Will grabbed a coil of rope and tossed it into the sea. Uncle Percy caught it in his left hand and heaved himself aboard.

  ‘Now, children,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘That might’ve looked like a dreadful thing to do, but it only looked that way.’ He tossed the bird on the deck. It landed with a particularly dull clang.

  ‘DREADFUL?’ Becky screamed. ‘YOU JUST COMMITTED MURDER!’

  ‘To murder something it had to be alive in the first place.’

  Becky refused to listen. ‘YOU’VE JUST KILLED AN INNOCENT BIRD, FOR NO REASON.’

  Then, in one swift action, Uncle Percy twisted the bird’s head off.

  Becky yelped. However, instead of blood, she saw a thick gust of smoke and thin, wispy sparks of electricity.

  ‘This is a very advanced piece of technology,’ Uncle Percy continued. ‘Joe, would you pass me a knife, please.’

  Joe raced to the hull. He snatched a large knife from an open sack of oranges and handed it to his Uncle. ‘What is it?’

  ‘It’s a Cyrobot,’ Uncle Percy replied. Dropping to his knees, he plunged the blade into the bird’s breastbone - it splintered to reveal a series of torn flesh, blood, cabling and electronic circuits. ‘Look at the craftsmanship.’ He sounded very impressed. ‘I believe, what we have here is an Enthium exo-skeleton, a voice relay tracking system, lycro-skin and solar-induced battery capacitors.’

  ‘I-it’s a robot?’ Becky felt a sudden urge to be sick.

  ‘Of sorts. A cyborg.’

  ‘Huh?’ Becky grunted.

  ‘It’s half-organic, half-mechanical,’ Uncle Percy continued. ‘It was a bird, now it’s a tool. A very sophisticated tool.’

  ‘And it was following us?’ Joe said.

  ‘Indeed.’

  ‘Why?’ Joe said.

  ‘Because of this.’ Uncle Percy pulled out a small metal cube.

  ‘What is it?’ Joe asked.

  Uncle Percy stood up, raised the box into the light and examined it. ‘It’s a recording device and, unless I’m mistaken, a cellular broadcaster. Someone, somewhere, is watching and listening to our every move.’ He dropped the cube on to the deck, raised his foot and smashed his heel down. ‘At least, they were.’

  *

  To Becky’s surprise, the discovery of the Cyrobot raised Uncle Percy’s spirits. He spent the rest of the afternoon forcing Becky and Joe to play the dullest round of I-Spy imaginable (‘I-Spy the sea’ – ‘I-Spy the sky’) and taking Edgar’s lead in doing some exercise.

  ‘What’s put you in such a good mood?’ Becky asked, watching him collapse after his second press-up. ‘We are being followed!’

  ‘Correction. We were being followed. That’s precisely why I’m happy. And so long as there isn’t another Cyrobot disguised as a dolphin, then this other traveller has no idea where we are. I’ve also checked Bertha’s alto-radar and there isn’t another ship on the Aegean for over a hundred miles. So, even if he did know our location, we’d still have one heck of a head start.’

  Day melted into night and Becky found herself staring wistfully at the stars above. The only sound was the lapping of the water against the ship and the sail flapping as it gathered every trace of wind. She had so many questions to ask her uncle, but judging by the snores coming from his bed now was not the time to ask them. What she was most eager to know, however, was something she felt sure he wouldn’t tell her: the topic of the argument between him and her dad. What on earth could be so serious they hadn’t spoken for so many years? She had no idea what it could be. And so she just lay there, gazing at the heavens, as the ship glided through the ocean.

  *

  The second day felt even more uneventful than the first, although Becky s
ensed a mild but tangible air of tension from Uncle Percy as he busied himself performing safety checks on Bertha. Edgar spent most of the afternoon sketching a detailed map of Kera, offering hushed words of advice to Will and Uncle Percy which were received with nods and murmurs of agreement.

  Becky awoke on the third morning to find Uncle Percy, Will and Edgar staring fixedly on the horizon. She kicked her brother awake and ran to join them. ‘Is that it?’

  ‘It is,’ Edgar said in a low voice. ‘The Island of Kera …’

  ‘It’s big,’ Joe yawned, appearing behind them. ‘Do we know where we’re going when we get there?’

  Uncle Percy held up the map. ‘We know exactly where we’re going.’

  As the island came into view, Edgar lowered the sails and took up the oars. Fighting the current, he steered the ship to the shoreline. Kera was more imposing than Becky had expected. There were sprawling golden beaches, exposed reefs of coral and emerald blankets of scrubland. A vast, rust-coloured mountain range was just about visible.

  Edgar guided the ship into the shallow waters, towards a bay that clung to the shore like a giant horseshoe. Raising the oars, he dropped anchor. Will positioned two wooden planks between Bertha and the beach. After loading their belongings, Uncle Percy drove on to the sand, before returning to the ship.

  Uncle Percy, Will, Becky and Joe gathered before Edgar, whose sunken black eyes were wet and lifeless.

  ‘It’s time to say goodbye, Edgar,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Thanks for everything.’

  ‘It has been an honour,’ Edgar said sadly. ‘Please, be careful.’

  ‘We will,’ Uncle Percy replied, extending his hand.

  ‘Goodbye, Edgar,’ Becky and Joe flung their arms around his waistline.

  Edgar hugged them tightly. ‘I will miss you both, very much.’ His voice quivered. ‘You must take excellent care of each other.’

  ‘We will,’ Becky and Joe replied.

  Will stepped forward and offered his hand. ‘Our best to your brothers.’ Edgar pushed the hand aside and pulled Will close in a powerful hug.

  Wiping his eyes, Edgar turned to them. ‘I refuse to weep,’ he blubbered, ‘but there is one more thing...’ He reached down and lifted up his sack, pulling out a long object wrapped in matted brown cloth. ‘Now, I want you to have this.’ He unravelled it to reveal an orange dagger which glistened in the sunlight. The dagger appeared to be made from the same curious metal as the Theseus Disk. ‘It was my Grandfather’s.’

  ‘We can’t, Edgar,’ Uncle Percy said. You’ve given us quite enough.’

  ‘You must,’ Edgar insisted. ‘If you are to face the beast your mortal weapons will be of no use. This may bring you the fortune you need. I beg you to take it.’ He offered the dagger to Uncle Percy, who took it. What was a dagger in Edgar’s hands was nothing less than a magnificent sword in Uncle Percy’s.

  ‘Thank you, Edgar.’ Uncle Percy said sincerely. ‘We’ve taken so much from you and given you nothing.’

  The Minotaur bowed graciously. ‘Your friendship has been the finest gift I could have wished for.’

  Taking it in turns, they each gave Edgar a final hug. Then they climbed into the time machine and drove off. Becky turned and watched, her heart churning, as Edgar grew smaller, his plate-sized hands waving madly.

  What she couldn’t see were the streams of tears rolling down his snout.

  Chapter 17

  The Red Caves

  As they pressed deeper into the island, Becky felt a profound sense of loss swell inside. She missed Edgar, and judging from the glum faces around her she wasn’t the only one.

  ‘I hope Edgar’ll be safe,’ Joe said.

  ‘He’s the size of a monster truck,’ Becky said. ‘Of course he will be.’

  ‘I know, but -’

  ‘He will,’ Will reassured them.

  ‘According to the alto-radar,’ Uncle Percy said, ‘his family’s island is less than a mile away. It’ll be good for him to see his brothers again.

  Becky twisted to face front. ‘Uncle Percy, why don’t we know about Minotaurs? I mean, we know about dinosaurs and other extinct things. Surely, someone would have found Minotaur fossils? They’re big enough.’

  ‘That’s an excellent question, Becky,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘And I was the biggest doubting Thomas about their existence, wasn’t I? I suppose, the reality is that there are many creatures that we have no idea existed. If there was only a small population to begin with, the chances of finding remains are actually very remote. Alternatively, hundreds of new species of fish are discovered each year.’

  ‘But that’s just boring fish,’ Joe quipped, ‘not massive Bull-men.’

  ‘The same principles apply, Joe,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘There are many species that have managed to remain hidden from human eyes, some living in such hostile climes it’s virtually impossible for humans to explore.’

  ‘Like Yetis,’ Joe said excitedly. ‘Do they exist?’

  Becky snorted. ‘Of course they don’t.’

  ‘Actually, Becky, they do,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘I’ve met one.’

  ‘You have?’ Joe gasped.

  ‘I have,’ Uncle Percy confirmed. ‘A community of them, in actual fact.’

  ‘Where did you meet them?’

  ‘I was in the Himalayas exploring the south-western slopes of the Menlung Glacier and I got separated from my party, a British geological expedition. Anyway, I was at an altitude of about 15000 feet, when I discovered some large footprints covered in blood. I followed the trail and found an injured Yeti. It had been attacked by a snow leopard. Fortunately, I had food and an extensive medical kit, and spent two days nursing him back to health. He told me his name was Gimbledok and -’

  ‘Yeti’s can talk?’ Becky interrupted, sounding very skeptical.

  ‘Not particularly well, I’m afraid,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘However, he was speaking in an ancient Nepalese dialect, and I, of course, was wearing my transvocalisor. Anyway, by way of thanks, he took me to his village, high in the mountains. There were about twenty Yetis in total. Gimbledok was their chieftain.’

  ‘What were they like?’ Joe asked.

  ‘Very noble,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Very loyal, peaceful unless provoked, and they love collecting things. Some things I found dated back hundreds, if not thousands of years. That reminds me, I really should visit them soon.’

  ‘Would you take me?’ Joe said immediately.

  Uncle Percy chuckled. ‘We’ll see.’

  ‘What other creatures exist?’ Joe said eagerly. ‘Ones I might’ve heard of.’

  ‘Err, Unicorns,’ Uncle Percy said, glancing at Becky in the rear-view mirror.

  Becky’s ears pricked up. ‘Really?’

  ‘Indeed, they do. As a matter of fact, they still exist on an unchartered island in the South China Seas. There are hundreds of them. Staggeringly beautiful creatures.’

  ‘What about werewolves?’ Joe asked enthusiastically.

  ‘Not to my knowledge.’

  ‘Vampires?’

  ‘There were rumours during the seventeenth century, but I honestly can’t say.’

  ‘Dragons?’

  ‘Again, plenty of rumours, particularly from twelfth century Europe. You’re from then, Will. Did you hear of any?’

  Will smiled. ‘Tuck claimed he saw one once. But the friar’s fondness of mead clouded his vision on more than one occasion.’

  For a further five minutes, Joe asked about which other mythical beasts existed and which hadn’t. He felt particularly disappointed to discover the Loch Ness Monster was a mechanical cow planted by an Irish traveller, Fergus O Malley, the result of a drunken dare, in the nineteen twenties.

  After much laughter, Becky changed the tone. ‘And what about Hydras?’

  The campervan fell silent.

  ‘That, Becky, remains to be seen ...’

  *

  Soon the conversation dwindled to little more than the odd murmur. The weight of their situation h
ad dawned - they were approaching the Red Caves, the supposed location of the Golden Fleece.

  Becky’s gaze fell on Edgar’s dagger. And she wasn’t the only one. Joe was looking, too. Hesitantly, he leant over and picked it up.

  ‘Be careful with that, Joe,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘It’s extraordinarily sharp.’

  ‘And this is what we’re going to kill the Hydra with, is it?’ Joe said.

  ‘If there is a Hydra, Joe, I’m sure it will be dealt with in whatever way is necessary,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘However, whatever happens, we are not going to be killing anything. At least, you’re not. You and Becky are not taking one step inside those caves.’

  Becky felt gobsmacked. After all they’d been through together. How could he even consider them not being together at the end?

  ‘But -’ Joe spurted.

  ‘But nothing,’ Uncle Percy replied.

  ‘We can fight,’ Joe said resolutely.

  ‘I’m sure you can,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘But not today.’

  ‘So what are we going to do?’

  ‘You can wait outside and guard Bertha.’

  Joe’s face grew red. ‘From what … monkeys?’

  ‘I’ll be setting her remote to Bowen Hall,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘If Will and I don’t return, you will travel back to the Hall. It is not open to discussion.’

  Joe looked to Will for support. ‘But Will ?’

  ‘I would have it no other way,’ Will replied simply.

  Becky broke her silence. ‘But you need us …’

  ‘What I need is for you both to be safe.’

  ‘But you can’t go in there alone,’ she pressed.

  ‘I never said we were going in alone,’ he replied mysteriously.

  ‘But -’

  ‘That’s my final word on the matter,’ Uncle Percy said.

  *

  Becky and Joe sulked as Bertha weaved her way through dense jungle into the heart of the island. Joe had thrown the dagger to the floor. He refused to speak and stared furiously out the window.

  Much to Becky’s frustration, Uncle Percy was ignoring their silent protest and acting like he hadn’t a care in the world. He hummed loudly, cracked jokes and conferred with Will as they pored over Edgar’s map. Then it appeared - a red mountain.