Chapter Thirty-Seven
The Odds Are Evened
The Beans crowded close and grasped each other, gripping shoulders and arms with their white-knuckled hands, holding tight to one another for strength. Nibbler leaned against their tight huddle, lending his furry support, and woofing up at the looming Mecha-Machine. For what it was worth, Murphy also squeaked at the monster, even though his protests were largely drowned out by the Labradoodle’s barks.
Jasper cackled, and the van that was grasped in the Mecha-Machine’s pincer-hands shuddered, as if in preparation of descent. Loose change and knickknacks continued to sprinkle down from the broken windows. The Beans could not help but reflexively close their eyes in the face of such impending doom.
But as they awaited disaster… the crushing blow never came.
Instead, they heard something… strange. In the skies above, Ebenezer squawked belligerently, like a disgruntled bird. This, of course, drew the attention of the Beans. They looked up, past the imposing figure of the Mecha-Machine, and into the night sky where Ebenezer hovered.
There, they saw a blur of movement. Something small and dark rushed toward Ebenezer, sending him into a 360-degree spin as it passed him by with a whump! It was moving so fast, it was impossible to tell what it was, blending into the black air as it sped by.
Once he had been sent akimbo, Ebenezer continued spinning, and he quickly lost control of his jetpack. The flames of spent fuel began sputtering, and Ebenezer’s trajectory wobbled. With a grunt and a mumble, he hopelessly wrestled for control, but the jetpack was rapidly spiraling him toward the ground.
“Eeek! Not again!” he cried in anguish, just before crash-landing against the earth with a smash and a crunch.
The mad scientist crashed a few dozen yards from where the Beans stood, sending up a plume of dust. Knocked silly by his unceremonious collision, he uttered a groan, and then went still. The Beans watched this inelegant descent with fascination, and as Ebenezer tumbled into an awkward pile, they noticed yet another strange noise… but this one was quite different.
It was a noise of considerable volume, and they could clearly hear it, even over the clomping, stomping ruckus of the Mecha-Machine. It was, in fact, a rather distinct noise.
It was a noise that the Beans recognized at once… and it was also a noise that you might remember as well, my astute reader.
Rustle-rustle-rush-crush, came the noise from behind them, in the woods that crowded against the farmhouse. And again… louder… closer. RUSTLE-RUSTLE-RUSH-CRUSH. It was the sound of trees and heavy brush being pushed aside by something downright colossal.
“Could that be…?” Neil wondered hopefully.
THOOM-THOOM-THOOM, came the noise of thunderous footsteps, sending shockwaves through the earth.
“What in tarnation is that noise?” Jasper asked, more to himself than anyone else.
A bewildered expression overtook the surly janitor’s face, and he paused in his nefarious doings. For the time being, his hands went still on the knobs and gearshifts. He began to twist around in his cab, in order to look over his shoulder at what was causing such a ferocious commotion. But before he could do so, the thunderous footsteps grew closer, and the trees were pushed aside.
What came from the woods was almost beyond belief. Almost… but not quite, for the Beans had enjoyed an encounter with this creature not long ago… It was the swamp beast of Hollow Oak.
“Titus!” Neil exclaimed. He was so excited, he almost jumped right out of his shoes. “Oh, man, I can’t even begin to tell you how glad we are to see you!”
Nine feet in height, astounding in mass, the swamp beast sprinted toward them. He had swept aside the tree branches before him with a casual swipe from his hand, and emerged from the concealment of the forest. The ground shuddered beneath his feet as he rushed ahead, moving at a speed that belied his colossal size.
Jasper, having twisted around to his left, completely missed Titus as he sprinted by on the right. As he heard the terrific commotion of the swamp beast’s arrival, he turned back the other way, but once more missed the deceptively fast monster.
Titus rushed to the front of the Mecha-Machine, grasped its arms within his gigantic hands, and gave a mighty heave. The Mecha-Machine did not topple, but the force tilted its heavy frame backward a fair amount. The van wobbled above it all, still grasped in the machine’s pincer-hands.
“What is going on around here?” Jasper demanded. He had swiveled back in his chair, and was peering through the glass of the cab. But the new angle of the Mecha-Machine’s torso prevented him from seeing what it was that had seized his mechanical steed. “Mischievous punks! I don’t know what you’re up to, but your lesson is still long past due. Prepare to be schooled!”
The swamp beast towered above the Beans protectively, shielding them with his massive, mottled-green body. His vine-dreadlocks swayed about his broad face and tree stump of a neck, as he struggled for leverage against his foe. He heaved with exertion, and his warm, mossy breath washed over the Beans, while his emerald-green eyes narrowed with determination.
His huge hands had met the Mecha-Machine, and he now gripped the metal with an inhuman ferocity, causing the muscles of his forearms, and biceps, and triceps to bulge. His gargantuan arms swelled and flexed, rippling and pulsing. They were the size of tree trunks, capable of unimaginable feats of strength. They twitched and heaved, as they strained against the equally incredible might of the Mecha-Machine.
“Hello, little ones,” Titus rumbled, as he continued to struggle with the mechanical monstrosity. The toes of his bare feet searched for purchase in the ground, as he leaned against his massive foe. “It came to my notice that you might be in need of some assistance.”
“Neil’s right! We’re really, really glad you’re here,” Sara told him, as she wiped a hand across her forehead in relief. “I thought we were goners!”
Titus chuckled and grinned down at the Beans, as he continued to strain against the looming Mecha-Machine. “I assure you, I’m delighted to help. I think I owe you plenty, after all the help you’ve given me. I may have rescued you on this occasion, but not long ago, you saved me, and those in my care. This is the least I can do for you. After all… what are friends for?”
Nibbler woofed in appreciation, and circled about the feet of the swamp beast. His tail wagged so fast, it made his rump shake crazily. Murphy did a noble job of retaining his place on the dog’s back, waving one paw up at Titus in greeting.
“It is fortunate that I’ve been keeping a very close eye on this individual. Otherwise, I almost certainly wouldn’t have been so near at hand during your moment of peril,” Titus said, as his nostrils flared. His green eyes narrowed, and his face grew stern. “This is the one who poisoned our river, isn’t it? I was certain his evildoings were not over, and my suspicions were clearly correct.”
“That’s right!” Jack confirmed. “Jasper’s a first-rate scoundrel.”
“What the-? What’s wrong with this infernal machine? I just tuned it up, for crying out loud!” Jasper hollered, as he furiously worked the controls in his cab. “Who are you punk kids talking to? What are you up to?”
Because the torso of the Mecha-Machine was tilted back, Jasper could not see that Titus had interrupted them. For all he knew, he had hit an invisible wall. And so it seemed that there was no logical explanation for his sudden halt, and the machine’s struggle to regain forward momentum.
But this was for the best. As Titus had explained to the Beans in the past, he was compelled to keep his existence concealed from humankind. He had cleverly remained hidden, during all the many years of his life. At the current moment, Lefty and Ebenezer were oblivious, and Jasper’s view was obstructed by the tilted Mecha-Machine.
“This Jasper fellow offered to teach you a lesson, I believe. But I think he may be the one in need of such,” Titus suggested with a grin, revealing his wide, flat teeth. “I trust there are no objections?”
The Beans laughe
d in response, Nibbler woofed with delight, and Murphy began to dance a jig on the Labradoodle’s back. It was clearly unanimous.
“As a matter of fact… I can’t think of anything that would make me happier,” Neil said.
The Green Beans, Volume 2: The Strange Genius of Lefty O'Houlihan Page 37
