by Brian Smith
The End of the World
Dare Quest
By Brian Smith
Copyright 2015
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Glossary
Cerberus - a three headed dog that guards the underworld
Charon - the ferryman who took the dead across the River Styx
co - commanding officer
cruiser - a kind of warship
Elysian fields - paradise
gigaton - one billion tons
HMS Belfast - an old British cruiser in London
intercept - to cut off from the intended destination
ludicrous - ridiculous, laughable
millennium - period of 1000 years
QRA - Quick Reaction Alert; British fighter jets on 24 hour stand-by
RAF - Royal Air Force; the British air force
redeem - to release from blame or debt
redemption - noun; see redeem
Styx - name of the river the dead cross to reach the underworld
Typhoon - name of fighter jet
vengeance - revenge
Vulcan - old British nuclear bomber
Welcome to a new world...
Did you think you’ve seen all the dangers that there are? That’s what Edward and Anthony thought too! They have to face fresh challenges and dangers as their home is destroyed and they may never see their loved ones again.
Will they rise up to the challenge on this quest? Little do they know, but they will need all their courage to face the most terrifying danger in the universe if they want to save the world and themselves. Can you guess what this danger is…?
Read on to see how your heroes fare.
1
For several months after their harrowing adventure in the Middle Ages with Princess Geetu, Edward and Anthony were glad to be at home again. Then came the time of their summer break. The schools closed and the two brothers were looking forward to a special treat: their parents were going to take them on a trip to London. A fortnight in the British capital was the very thing to clear their minds and have some fun-filled excitement. They stayed at a hotel in the old docklands. From their window they saw the huge cranes which for so many years had loaded and unloaded freighters from India, the Far East and many other parts of the world. Now the River Thames was quiet, the once busy cranes stood still, a monument to what was the busiest port in the world in days gone by.
The two boys and their parents took a cable car from near their hotel across the River Thames.
“Wow!” Edward said. “This is so cool!”
“What’s that big white building over there?” Anthony asked.
“That’s the Millennium Dome,” their father said. “It’s a sports stadium built to usher in the new millennium in the year 2000.”
Crossing the Thames in a cable car
From the other side of the river they took the tube, as Londoners call the underground railway, into the inner city. The next exciting attraction they went on was the London Eye, an enormous ferris wheel on the river bank. As their cabin steadily went up higher and higher the children’s eyes popped open in amazed delight.
“Look over there,” Anthony said and pointed to a tower. “What is it?”
“That’s Big Ben,” Edward said.
“Well, almost,” their father said. “Actually Big Ben is the name of the biggest bell inside that tower, but yes, people often refer to the tower as Big Ben. Do you like it?”
The London Eye
The children nodded happily. After leaving the London Eye they walked across a bridge towards the Houses of Parliament.
“What a beautiful view,” their mother said.
“A London bus,” Anthony said and jumped in excitement.
“Shall we ride on one?” their mother asked.
“Yes!” the children cheered.
