Felix Jones and The Dawn Of The Brethren

by Julian Roderick

  “Hang on a minute,” Tom was deep in thought. “You said your name is Wilkinson.”

  “Yes,” whispered Benjamin as Tom continued, “Joseph, make sure you stake a claim to this land, carve your name on a tree or something.”

  “Why?” Joseph asked.

  “Make sure your family come back and settle here,” Tom continued. “I’ve a feeling this land will bring your ancestors great fame and fortune.”

  “Very well,” replied Joseph. Benjamin had already climbed up the rope and was busy carving their name on the bark of each of the trees. “Safe journey. We will wait until we can’t hear you any longer. Farewell my friends.” In an instant he too had ascended to the surface. The trio waved and then contemplated how they would get to the floor of the cave. Tom explained that they couldn’t jump into the pool below as they might be impaled on the submerged stalagmites. “Down the rope we go then,” said Felix. He gathered together their swords and threw them downwards towards the pool. As they fell the hastily zipped cases unfastened and they watched in horror as the Guardians’ sabres clattered together and sparks flew into the water. The three friends slid down the rope as quickly as they could knowing that the Brethren could be on their way.

  Poppy held up the torch, which was getting dimmer by the second. Surrounding them were the most amazing limestone formations glimmering in the torchlight. “Wow!” exclaimed Poppy. “People will pay to see this one day,” smiled Tom. “If my memory serves me right the land is owned by the Wilkinson family.” He pointed up towards Joseph and Benjamin and smiled.

  The explosion shook the formations so hard that some disintegrated. The smoke billowed out of the entrance hole. The rocks the Wilkinsons were stood on trembled and collapsed into the cave. They scrambled clear but the entrance and been all but blocked. The pair knelt in prayer for their friends below and solemnly made their way back to their camp to tell the story. They were totally unaware of what was really going on under their feet.

  The Brethren monks smashed the stalagmites with their sabres as they advanced around the edge of the icy cold pool. “It’s ours at last!” cried the low gravelly voice. “There is no way out of here.”

  “You look for the object, we’ll fight them off,” Poppy said, thrusting the flickering torch at Felix. His eyes immediately scanned everywhere for an object that looked out of place. In the dying torchlight it was a nearly impossible task. The sparks and noise of swords clashing filled the cavern. Poppy and Tom had manoeuvred themselves so the Brethren only had a narrow path to get to them. They fought well but on the smooth surface of limestone deposits they were like Bambi on ice, slipping everywhere.

  “Quickly!” cried Tom. “We can’t hold them off much longer.” Felix stood up to join them but his ankle gave way beneath him. As he rolled in agony he felt an object under his backside. There it was a - cricket ball. He laughed, Tom had told them how the caves had been rediscovered by two boys playing cricket when their ball had fallen down the small hole left at the entrance.

  “The Book has a sense of humour,” he shouted. “Come on, I’ve got it.”

  Tom and Poppy ran to Felix. The Brethren howled with delight as their prey retreated. They swung their swords to finish the Guardians and capture the Keeper and the Book but they swung at thin air. Poppy and Tom clung onto Felix. He jumped on his good leg onto the cricket ball and they were gone.

  14

  The toddlers in the community centre once again began screaming at the appearance of the three bedraggled teenagers. “Out! Wait until I see your mother Felix Jones!” screamed a lady, they ran as fast as they could out of the door.

  “There they are!” Curly shouted to his gang. “Get them!” The chase continued. Up and down the common they ran until Curly and his cronies collapsed with tiredness. “We’ll get you soon! If we don’t my dad will when he gets out!” screamed Curly.

  “What on earth does his dad want with us?” Tom asked.

  “It’ll keep, I’m shattered,” replied Felix. “See you in school tomorrow.” They said their goodbyes and went their separate ways.

  Felix lay on his bed exhausted. He wondered why the same man who followed The Sheriff was now following him. Why was Curly’s father going to get him? What have the Brethren got to do with the Typhon? His brain whirled with possibilities but eventually tiredness won and he fell into a deep sleep.

  Tom and Poppy were waiting at the school gates. They had the same questions as Felix. Their minds were definitely not in a good place for school work. Tom ended up in isolation for producing no work in an English lesson, Poppy burnt her cake in Technology and Felix doodled all morning without anyone noticing. At lunchtime Felix and Poppy waved at Tom who was sat in the dreary room which doubled as the school equivalent of prison. He dared not react as Mr Taylor would have him in there for another day. Tom buried his head in his hands and tried his best to ignore them. Poppy climbed on Felix’s shoulders and pressed her face against the glass right alongside Tom’s cubicle - Mr Taylor couldn’t see her. Tom burst into fits of hysterical laughter. As Mr Taylor approached Poppy jumped down and she crouched with Felix out of sight. All they could hear was Mr Taylor bellowing at Tom.

  At the end of the school day, Felix and Poppy waited patiently at the stump for Tom to be released.

  “Thanks a bunch!” he shouted as he approached them. “An extra hour for laughing, cheers!” Felix apologised through his giggles. The trio sat there reminiscing and dreaming of being back on the beaches of Bermuda.

  “There he is again!” said Poppy. “The man who followed The Sheriff.”

  “Where are his cronies?” Tom asked. “Who are they?”

  “I don’t know but let’s get out of here!” Felix grabbed his school bag and set off towards the high street. He ran straight into Curly’s dad.

  “Jones! You’re coming with me,” Mr Higgins grabbed Felix and shoved him into the back of his car. The man who had been following them joined Felix in the back of the vehicle. Tom and Poppy lay unconscious on the common.

  15

  The freezing cold water woke Tom.

  “Not again! Where have you taken us this time?” he croaked, his throat felt like he had swallowed needles. He wiped his face with his hand and looked up to see Buckley with an empty bucket. Poppy sat dazed and confused next to him.

  “Some things never change,” said Tom. “Chloroform!”

  “We’ve failed. They’ve got Felix!” Poppy spluttered.

  “More importantly they have the Book!” said Buckley. “If they have that we’re all in trouble.”

  “They’re not the Brethren,” added the school caretaker. “What do they want with him? What does Basher Higgins want with our Felix?”

  The three Guardians sat on the stump wondering what to do next. They seemed lost without their leader. “Where would they take him?” Tom asked.

  “What about the Typhon lot with the silly hats?” Poppy was thinking about the man who had been following Keepers for over forty years. “That man was with them in 1974.”

  “My father mentioned something about a funny club that used to meet in The Railway. He reckoned they’d disappeared after the explosion.” Buckley was pleased to add something to the conversation other than questions. “Do you think they are back?”

  “Maybe!” Tom scratched his head. The back room at The Railway is a restaurant now, so they can’t meet there anymore.”

  “Where does Basher Higgins meet with his gang?” Poppy asked.

  “He gathers his troops at the pool house in his garden. I think!” said Buckley. “We can go and see if Felix is there.” Buckley stood and strode off towards the big houses with walled gardens at the bottom of the common. Tom and Poppy struggled to keep up.

  “They haven’t got the sword!” Poppy smiled as she walked onto the road and picked up Felix’s guitar case. “He sometimes…” She turned round. In her hands was The Book of Words. Tom cheered. “He’ll be OK. Felix will talk his way out of this one.”

&nbs
p; The Guardians were more confident as they approached the walls of ‘Higgins’ Mansion’.

  16

  Felix struggled to free himself from the solid grip of Curly’s father. He had managed to throw his guitar case off his back as he was bundled into the back seat. Felix was trapped, with Mr Higgins on one side and the man who had been following him on the other. He kicked against the door of the car as they sped up the high street.

  “Sort him out Sneak!” ordered Higgins. The stranger put something over Felix’s mouth and he blacked out.

  Felix’s throat stung. He struggled to open his eyes. He was tied to a chair and couldn’t move his arms or legs. The Keeper regained his focus and could not believe what he was looking at. He was next to a pool lined with gold tiles. Egyptian hieroglyphs adorned each tile and surrounding the pool were statues of Egyptian and Greek figures. He couldn’t help but smile, remembering his grandmother’s favourite saying, “You can’t buy taste!”

  “Told you he would get you!” shouted Curly. He was sitting amongst all the statues at one end of the pool, on a large throne like chair. Above the chair was a huge statue of a Greek God. Felix knew he had seen the head somewhere before, and not too long ago. He tried to respond to Curly but he had been gagged. Through the long glass wall he could see a group of men, all dressed in black and every one of them wearing a hat shaped like a dog. That’s it, he knew he’d seen the god before. The hats were the head of whichever god that was above Curly.

  They seemed to be waiting for someone. It was beginning to get dark. Felix knew his mother would be starting to worry about him soon. The men all began smiling. The large gold gates began to open behind them. In drove an old, black Rolls Royce with tinted windows. It was the same car the Gold Typhon had driven off in back in 1974. Felix was expecting to see a decrepit, old man get out of the back seat but instead there stood a large imposing figure wearing the largest hat of all. He was greeted enthusiastically by Basher Higgins, who quickly led him into the pool house.

  “I hope you’ve got the right one this time,” snarled the Gold Typhon. “I am fed up of our allies being angered by us capturing the wrong people.” Felix realised that Wonky, Mr Beauchamp, the fencing teacher, had probably been captured by the Typhon. He knew he was in trouble, but how much? Had the Typhon let the Brethren deal with their previous captives? His mind was refocussed as the rest of the Typhon entered.

  “Here he is!” Basher unfurled his arms theatrically and pointed towards Felix.

  “And the Book?” enquired the Gold Typhon. There was an unease in the room as nobody had actually searched Felix for the Book.

  “Silver Typhon! Please tell me he has the Book,” said their disgruntled leader. Basher Higgins ordered his men to search the prisoner. They looked at Basher and shrugged their shoulders.

  The Gold Typhon roared, “They killed our last leader for his failure and you call me for this snotty little schoolboy!”

  “It is the boy I saw at the explosion in 1974,” said Sneak, sticking his chest out with pride.

  “I recognise him too!” screamed the angry Typhon. “He would be over fifty if it was the same person you incompetent idiot!”

  “But sir, it is him. It is the Keeper,” pleaded Sneak.

  “Shut it, Sneak!” ordered Basher. “The Gold Typhon is right, I recognise him too but he’d be my age if it was the boy we chased on the common in 1974.”

  “Remove his gag,” ordered the leader. “Where is your father? It must be his father!”

  “My father is dead sir!” Felix pretended to cry. Basher looked at Curly. Curly nodded as if to confirm Felix’s statement.

  “Can you keep a secret?” asked the Gold Typhon. “No one will hear of tonight’s events, will they?

  “Yes sir! No Sir!” replied Felix.

  “Let him go!” ordered the man in the large hat. “He is a child. He can’t be the Keeper.”

  Sneak untied the ropes binding Felix to the chair. Curly grabbed Felix’s arm and took him through the garden to the gates.

  “My dad may not want you anymore, but now you’re mine!” whispered Curly menacingly. “Tomorrow, clever clogs! Tomorrow!” He pressed the button on a remote control and the electric gates stirred and slowly opened. Felix ran off up the common.

  “Oi!” shouted Tom from behind a bush near the gates. Felix turned and smiled. Tom threw Felix his guitar case. Poppy ran up to him gave Felix a big hug before handing him The Book of Words. Curly had stood watching the happy reunion. He wasn’t the brightest tool in the box, but he soon realised that Felix was the one his dad’s gang were trying to find after all. He rushed back to the pool house where his father was holding Sneak under water.

  “It was him! His mates gave him a book as soon as they left,” shouted Curly.

  “What?” the Gold Typhon screamed at the top of his voice.

  Curly, shaking with fear, told them what he had witnessed.

  “You had him and you let him go!” The Gold Typhon pushed Higgins into the pool to join Sneak.

  “Tomorrow we will have our day. We will capture this Keeper and his friends and summon the Brethren for our final victory.” The Gold Typhon raised his sabres above his head and all the Typhon cheered in anticipation of achieving their goal.

  17

  Felix straightened his school uniform. They were all sitting in the caretaker’s cottage at the top of the school drive. Tea and cake had been prepared by Buckley’s mother. Nobody said a word.

  The silence was too much for Tom who began humming ‘Whenever I feel afraid.’ from The King and I. Smiles appeared on the others’ faces. They joined in the humming before falling about laughing.

  “We’re safe from the Typhon for now!” said Felix, sure that Basher was being berated by the Gold Typhon for getting everything wrong. “It’s Curly and his mob we have to keep an eye out for!”

  “You’ll be fine!” Buckley reassured him, “You’ll have us three with you in school tomorrow.”

  They finished their tea, said goodbye, and went home for a good nights’ sleep.

  During registration the following morning it was announced that there would be an assembly for the whole school at twelve fifteen. Felix looked at Poppy and Tom with a feeling of dread!

  “I never believed in Déjà vu before now!” whispered Tom. Curly sat there with a smug grin on his face. He caught Felix’s attention and pulled his fingers across his throat while he mouthed, ‘You’re dead!’

  “He’s just joking. Trying to scare us!” said Poppy at break time.

  “It can’t happen again, can it?” Tom asked.

  “No! We’re worrying over nothing,” said Felix. He wasn’t quite sure if he believed what he said. “Lightning never strikes twice!” He smiled at his friends as they made their way to the next lesson, French. Felix enjoyed languages since he had gained possession of the Book. It had the power to enable him to speak fluently in whatever language he needed. Madam Burton had been so impressed with his progress that he was to sit the ‘A level’ exam at the end of Year 9. He sat alone at the back of the room with the thickest text book imaginable and quietly got on with his work. Tom and Poppy joined the rest of the class in a card game to do with sports and hobbies.

  At twelve fifteen, Madam Burton ushered her class to the school hall for the assembly. The whole school sat in silence. Felix, Poppy and Tom made sure they were the last of their class to enter. They had three seats on the end of the row, near the aisle, just in case they needed to escape quickly. They held their weapon cases firmly as they waited. Once everyone was seated Mr Moreton, the Deputy Headmaster and acting Headmaster in Wonky’s absence, began his walk down the aisle. The whole school stood. Felix glanced to his left. There sat Curly and his gang, every one of them wearing a smirk. Felix sensed another presence. He looked behind him, there walking next to Mr Moreton was the Gold Typhon.

  “It’s Déjà vu alright!” he whispered to Tom as he gave his Guardians a boiled sweet. He jerked his head towards the aisle. Tom
and Poppy turned to look. Both gulped and began thinking how to get out of the hall.

  “Let’s see what he wants first,” said Felix, who was already edging along his seat towards the aisle. The visitor was introduced, almost inaudibly by Mr Moreton – he was always a quivering wreck in front of a large audience - as the Police Liaison Officer for the local schools.

  “I thought that was Lofty’s dad,” whispered Poppy.

  “It is!” replied Felix. As the Gold Typhon told the most imaginative story about a spate of burglaries and disappearances that were thought to be the acts of a group of pupils at Queen Anne’s School. The three friends took this as their cue to leave. Once again a picture of Felix, Tom and Poppy, taken from CCTV on the common was displayed on the screen for all to see. The whole school turned to see the trio tip-toeing out of the back door.

  “After them lads!” Curly shouted. His gang pushed their way out and made chase.

  “Not again!” shouted Felix. There in his way stood Higgins senior - the Silver Typhon - and Sneak. The three friends turned to run but found their way blocked by Curly’s gang.

  “No escape this time Jones!” snarled Curly. His gang laughed.

  “Come on,” Felix ordered. He began to run towards the staffroom, Bermuda seemed like a good bet. He barged through the door and ran at the picture to his right. He felt arms grab hold of him and he jumped. Felix was on his way through the time vortex to safety.

  18

  Tom and Poppy could not escape the grip of their captors. Sneak had a firm hold of Tom and Poppy was jammed against the wall by Curly’s dad, the Silver Typhon.

  “Felix!” screamed Poppy.