The Time Hunters (Book 1 of the acclaimed series for children of all ages) (11 page)

Chapter 15

Phineus

‘Hold on to something!’ Uncle Percy bellowed, pressing
a large scarlet button on Bertha’s dashboard.

At once, a rumbling sound echoed throughout the van.

Becky had heard the sound once before.
An ultra-booster.
Her heart pounded as she watched Uncle
Percy aim the campervan at the charging Harpy. Then they raced off like a
missile.

Becky didn’t have time to shut her eyes
when
 
-
SMAASSSSH
– the campervan ploughed into
its target, shuddering violently as metal crunched bone. The Harpy was pitched into
the cliff-face, its body landing in a twisted, motionless heap.

Uncle Percy swung Bertha round and slammed on the
brakes. He leapt from the driver’s door and sprinted over to Will. ‘Are you all
right, Will?’

‘Aye,’
Will
replied, his
hand pressed firmly against his left shoulder. Uncle Percy removed the hand
carefully to reveal a deep gash. He examined it closely. ‘I can fix it.’
Jumping to his feet, he raced back to the campervan.

Becky rushed over, Joe close behind, his face
colourless.

‘Will!’ Becky said softly, dropping to her knees.
‘Are you
-
’

‘I am fine, child.’ Will watched as tears formed in Becky’s
eyes.
 
‘Worry not. This is nothing your uncle
cannot heal.’

A moment later, Uncle Percy returned clutching a
bottle of orange liquid and what looked like an electric toothbrush.
 
‘Now, this might hurt a tad, Will.’ He
switched on the device. It hummed faintly and a glittering blue beam shot from
its tip.

Becky and Joe watched helplessly as Uncle Percy
ensured the light crossed every cut, every graze, every bruise, before applying
thick drops of the liquid. After a few minutes he looked up, satisfied. ‘He’ll
be fine.’

After setting Will in the shade to rest, Uncle Percy
returned to the boy, who was looking more bewildered than ever. ‘I’m Percy
Halifax,’ he said with a kindly smile. ‘This is Becky and Joe. And that man
over there is Will Shakelock. We are visitors to these shores and mean you no
harm.’

The boy returned a feeble smile. After a few
uncomfortable moments where Becky thought the transvocalisors had been damaged,
he spoke in a rather edgy squeak. ‘I - I am Phineus of Athens.’

‘A pleasure to meet you, Phineus,’ Uncle Percy said.
‘Would you care for some water?’

Phineus nodded. ‘Please, yes, water.’

Uncle Percy returned a moment later with a plastic
water bottle. Phineus’ face turned white. ‘What kind of sorcery is this?’
 

‘It’s quite all right, Phineus,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘It’s
what we call
plastic
. Where we
come from plastic is very common.’

Phineus eyed the container warily. Hesitantly, he
took a drink.

‘So, Phineus, do your parents live around here?’

‘My parents are with the Gods,’ Phineus
replied.
 
‘Like you, I am not of this
place. Our boat is moored here.’

‘Your boat?’

‘The Argo … alas, she suffered damage passing the
Clashing Rocks of Izos, my comrades are making repairs whilst I explore the
island.
 
I was gathering olives when the
sky-beasts attacked.’

But Becky only heard the first two words:
The
Argo
.
The Argo was Jason’s
legendary boat in the quest for the Golden Fleece. Uncle Percy clearly couldn’t
believe it either. ‘The Argo – so you’re an Argonaut?’

‘I am,’ Phineus replied proudly.

‘And the captain of your ship is … Jason?’

Phineus looked surprised. ‘You know of my master?’

‘Only by reputation.’

‘As you should.’
Phineus’ chest ballooned with pride. ‘He is a remarkable man, a great leader
and a fierce warrior. I doubt whether there is a braver man in the breadth of
Mycenae.’

‘Will you take us to him?’

Phineus took a side-ways glance at the dead Harpies.
‘Well -’ he bowed his head. ‘- I owe you my life. It is the very least I can
do.’

Uncle Percy turned to Becky, a glint in his eyes.
She smiled back. They had been blessed with the most extraordinary luck.
According to legend, Jason, the Argo, the Argonauts, and the Golden Fleece were
inextricably linked. And, although she knew Uncle Percy rarely found truth in
legends - well, perhaps this time could be the exception.

Perhaps this was more than coincidence.

*

Uncle Percy decided they would need a substantial
lunch, and Will a few hours convalescence, before they set off to meet the
Argonauts. And as Becky protested at eating beside two fly-ridden Harpy
corpses, they drove deep into Andrana’s Valley, stopping beside a shallow brook.

After lunch, Uncle Percy conducted safety checks on
Bertha to ensure everything was in working order.
 
As he did this, Phineus wandered over and
began to study Bertha’s damaged bodywork, his eyes filled with wonder.

‘What manner of chariot is this?’ Phineus asked.

‘It’s a new model,’ Uncle Percy said cagily. ‘They’ll
be all the rage this time next year.’

‘But how does it move?’ Phineus asked. ‘There are no
horses.’

Uncle Percy thought it would be pointless to explain
the finer details of automotive engineering. ‘Oh, there are horses. They’re actually
underneath.’

‘Underneath?’
Phineus said incredulously. ‘But what breed are they?’

Uncle Percy checked he was out of earshot. ‘They’re
a British breed: Devonshire Bunny Horses.’

‘My Uncle Alpheos was a breeder of horses,’ Phineus
replied. ‘I thought I knew all varieties of the creature. But I have never
heard of a Devon-shire Bunny Horse.’

‘Well, they’re rare,’ Uncle Percy replied
unconvincingly.
‘Even in Devon.’

Phineus nodded. ‘But how are they harnessed beneath
such a - ’

‘Oh,
its
not hard. They’re actually
very small,’ Uncle Percy interrupted. ‘No bigger than rabbits, hence the
name…’
 

‘How many are there?’

Uncle Percy was blushing now. ‘Ten.’

Phineus fell to the ground, keen to examine the
van’s undercarriage. ‘Where are they?’

‘Oh, you won’t be able to see them,’ Uncle Percy
said, heaving a disappointed Phineus back to his feet. ‘When I start the
chariot, their legs lower and they start running. They have incredibly long
legs for such tiny things.’

‘May I see one?’

‘I’m afraid they don’t respond well to strangers.
They’re likely to bite.’

‘Bite?’

‘Oh, yes, this breed is renowned for its nipping.
They have very sharp teeth.’

‘Perhaps they would be happier if they ran free.’

‘Ah, that would be bad. They hate sunlight, you see.
It sends them into a violent frenzy. If I set them free it could turn very
nasty. A bloodbath! I’ll let them out tonight when it’s dark.’

Phineus looked sad. ‘Perhaps that would be best.’

Uncle Percy gave a loud sigh of relief.

By the time it came to leave, Will had made an
excellent recovery.
 
In fact, it had been
a pleasant few hours, the only sobering moment occurred when Phineus examined
Uncle Percy’s cane and nearly blew his head off. But after the panic had faded,
they left feeling refreshed and ready for their trip to the coast.

*

However, what none of them had realised was that
since their arrival on Crete, an enormous black bird had been following them, studying
their every move. And, as the campervan disappeared from sight, the bird’s pitch-black
eyes snapped shut. The
ambo-processor
in
its head had stopped recording - its homing device had been activated.

Its
creator was waiting.

As the bird approached a clearing at the peak of a
white mountain, a tall, slender man in a dark cloak met it, a thick hood
masking his face. He held a device showing, in total clarity, everything in the
bird’s eye-line. He turned a toggle and the bird collapsed soullessly at his
feet. He
picked it up and
placed
it into a satchel. Then he turned to a limousine parked ten foot away - a limousine
that once belonged to the Russian dictator, Joseph Stalin … a man who
arrested,
imprisoned and executed millions of his own
citizens.

The traveller rubbed his hands with anticipation. He
had a short but crucial journey in time to make. It was a trip that, regardless
of the outcome, would bring him a great deal of amusement.

Chapter 16

Argonauts

Even with the air conditioning at full blast, the
campervan felt like an oven. Becky watched Phineus who was lying spread-eagled
on the floor, his ear tightly pressed against the metal panelling. ‘Phineus,
what are you doing?’

‘Listening,’ Phineus replied, a faraway smile on his
lips.

‘To what?’

‘To the horses.’

‘The what?’

‘The little horses.
They are most wondrous.’

Uncle Percy gave an unusually loud cough. ‘Phineus,
if you could return to your seat, please.’

‘What horses?’ Becky probed.

‘The Devonshire Bunny Horses,’ he said.
 
‘I can hear them.’

‘Your seat, Phineus …’ Uncle Percy said awkwardly.

‘What’re you going on about?’ Becky continued.

‘Beautiful scenery, isn’t it?’ Uncle Percy said at
the top of his voice, before bursting into a peculiarly enthusiastic bout of
whistling.

Reluctantly Phineus returned to his seat, his eyes
exploring every inch of the campervan as though a new discovery waited in every
corner. Joe stared at Phineus, with the same bemused expression as his sister.
This was an Argonaut?

‘This is the most uncommon chariot I have ever
seen,’ Phineus said. ‘This Brit-ain from which you hail must be a wonderful
place.’

Joe looked at the campervan with indifference.
‘S’pose. We’ve got loads better stuff than this, though.’

‘Better?’ Phineus asked. ‘But what could be better?’

Joe pondered for a moment. ‘Err, Manchester City.’

‘And what is Man-chest-er City?’

‘It’s a football team,’ Joe said. ‘The best team in
the world.’

‘What is football?’

‘It’s a game.
Eleven men versus
eleven men - one ball.’

‘What is ball?’

‘It’s a round object, full of air.’ Joe spread out
his hands as if holding an invisible ball. ‘You kick it.’

‘Why?’

‘So you can score.’

‘What is score?’

‘When you kick the ball in the
net.’

‘What is net?’

‘It doesn’t matter,’ Joe scowled, his tone
suggesting he hoped the other Argonauts were a significant improvement on this
one.

Becky smiled, turned to the window and caught sight
of the Aegean Sea. The crystal-blue water extended to the horizon, bordered by
a blanket of rambling white sand. And, as the valley merged into the shore, she
noticed a boat anchored fifty feet from the beach.

Phineus bolted upright.
‘The
Argo.’

An air of anticipation swept through the van. They
all strained to get a better look at the celebrated ship. The closer they came,
however, the more Becky sensed disappointment and with good reason.
The Argo
was, without doubt, the
smallest, shabbiest looking vessel imaginable. A crooked wooden mast rose from
the deck with a dirty green sail that hung limp like a soggy piece of lettuce.

‘Is that it?’ Joe said, loudly. ‘It’s tiny.’

‘Tis big enough,’ Phineus said defiantly.

‘For fifty men?’
Joe blustered.

‘Fifty?’ Phineus snorted, offended by Joe’s tone.
‘But only four undertook the journey.’

Joe slumped miserably in his seat. ‘Four? But I
thought there were fifty - ’

Uncle Percy interrupted, ‘Phineus, about the Argo,
is it sinking?’

‘No.’ Phineus tried to sound positive. ‘Jason said
-’

‘What-a-flippin’-shock,’ Joe growled, folding his
arms.

Becky could see Uncle Percy was right. The Argo was
sinking and sinking fast. The prow tilted down, half submerged in water and she
could make out two small figures scurrying around the deck, emptying buckets
over the side.

Uncle Percy steered Bertha into a small cave and
urged them to exit as quickly as possible.

‘Can we not ride the chariot on to the beach?’
Phineus asked. ‘I am certain my comrades would be keen to see it.’

Deeming the fewer people who saw Bertha the better,
Uncle Percy leant towards Phineus, careful of being overheard.
 
‘I don’t like to talk about it in front of
Becky and Joe, it upsets them, but the horses hate sand. In fact, they’re
allergic to it. They develop green boils all over their little bodies if they
come into contact with it.’

Phineus nodded with concern. ‘That sounds most
worrisome.’

‘Oh, it is,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Anyway, they’ll be
fine as long as we keep them away from the beach.’

‘Wise, indeed,’ Phineus said gravely.

Then Joe appeared. ‘Are we going then?’

‘Of course, Joe,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Come, Phineus,
you must introduce us to your friends.’

Phineus took a lingering look at the time machine
and sighed. Then he sprinted out of the cave.

‘Off his box,’ Joe mumbled to Becky, as Phineus
disappeared over a dune.

As they trudged across the sand, Becky saw a large
man sitting on a boulder, his brown eyes swirling round in their sockets,
streams of slobber trickling down his stubbly chin.

‘Hail, Theseus,’ Phineus said. ‘Has your condition
improved?’

Becky’s ears pricked up.
Theseus -
the slayer of the Minotaur.
Her stomach sank. This man was a slobbering
wreck.

Theseus raised his head.
‘H-hail
Phlinumbleness.’

‘What’s the matter with him?’ Joe blurted.

‘His head was struck when we hit the clashing
rocks,’ Phineus replied. ‘Jason believes he shall recover in a day or two.’

Becky stared doubtfully at Theseus, who had tilted
back on the boulder, his legs dangling, when his eyes rolled white and he
collapsed with a heavy thud.

Will ran over and hoisted him back onto the
rock.
  

‘Ooops.
My head hurts,’ Theseus gurgled.

‘Here, let me take a look.’ Uncle Percy lifted
Theseus’ straggly black hair to reveal a bluish lump the size of a conker.
Becky winced.

Fortunately, Uncle Percy knew exactly what to do.
After a few minutes of gentle probing, he finally spoke, ‘There’s nothing
broken, just severe concussion.’

‘Are you my mother?’ Theseus said in a swirling
drawl.

‘Err, ‘fraid not,’ Uncle Percy said, turning to a
mortified Phineus. ‘We need to get him out of the sun.’ Struggling, they hauled
Theseus to the shade and Uncle Percy spent the next ten minutes treating him
with implements from the campervan’s medi-box. As soon as the swelling had
reduced they left him to rest and returned to the beach.

Becky, Uncle Percy, his hood shielding his face from
the sun, Will, Joe and Phineus gathered at the shore.
 
The stern rose higher and higher into the air
as the Argo tilted at a steep angle.

‘Jason … Jason… I have returned!’ Phineus yelled.

A small head popped over the side of the boat.
Soaked in sweat, Jason stared at the smiling group of strangers. For a brief
moment, his bearded face displayed shock, but this quickly disappeared.
‘Phineus?’
Jason shouted back, intrigued. ‘Who accompanies
you?’

‘These are my friends. They saved my life,’ Phineus
replied.
 
‘Master, I have so much to tell
you. I was attacked!’

Jason whispered something to his fellow Argonaut and
they nodded in agreement. Conceding their cause was
lost,
they pitched the buckets into the sea, jumped overboard and approached the
shore. Phineus dashed through the lapping waves to his mentor.

‘Attacked, you say?’ Jason said. ‘Then it pleases me
you are safe.’

As Jason stood upright, Becky noticed something
quite unexpected. Phineus
towered
above him.

‘Jason’s an elf!’ Joe whispered in Becky’s ear.

‘Shhh,’ Becky replied. Nonetheless, she couldn’t
help but agree. Jason, the famous leader of the Argonauts, was indeed a very,
very tiny man.

The second Argonaut approached Phineus. He was very
tall, reedy, and his round balding head made him look like a spoon.

‘Hercules,’ Phineus said. ‘It pleases me to see
you.’

‘Hail, Phineus,’ Hercules replied. ‘You say you were
attacked by demons? They’re not still around are they?’ He looked nervously at
the distant valley.

‘No. My friends slew them.’

‘Oh, good,’ Hercules replied with relief.

Joe struggled to maintain a respectful silence.
‘That’s Hercules?’

For once, however, Becky could quite understand her
brother’s incredulity. Of all the legendary Argonauts, Hercules had to be the
most famous. But this Hercules, however, could not have looked more different from
the Hercules of legend.

‘Is the Argo doomed, sire?’ Phineus asked Jason.

‘That slab of rotting timber,’ Jason muttered
angrily, ‘tis not fit for firewood. You wait ‘til I get my hands on that dung
beetle Argus…master shipbuilder, my stumpy rump!’ He scooped up a floating
bucket and hurled it at the ship.

‘But what of our quest?’
Phineus asked anxiously.
‘The Fleece of Gold?’

Becky’s heart slammed in her chest. She heard Joe
gasp loudly.
The Argonauts
were
searching for the Golden Fleece.

‘Fear not,’ Jason said, reaching up on tiptoes and
patting Phineus firmly on his shoulder. ‘Something will arise. Anyway, who are
your companions?’

‘They are my new friends,’ Phineus said, trailing
Jason out of the water. ‘They are strangers here, too. They hail from a
far-away land called Brit - ain.’ At these words Jason’s expression changed.
Oblivious, Phineus continued, ‘I was gathering olives when I was attacked by
sky demons. These fair people rescued me, and - ’

But Jason had stopped listening.

Becky knew something was wrong. She stared at Jason,
but it was clear he was focused on one thing, one person: Uncle Percy.

Uncle Percy had noticed it too. Slowly, he removed
his hood.

Jason gasped loudly and fell to his knees. ‘It’s you
… It’s you… Hercules, Phineus, to your knees at once!’

Bewildered, Hercules and Phineus dropped to the
sand. Becky watched in amazement as the three Argonauts groveled before them.

For a brief moment, even Uncle Percy was at a loss
for words. ‘May I ask what you’re doing?’

‘The gods foretold of your coming, sire,’ Jason
said, his eyes never leaving the sand. ‘But I didn’t believe it. Please,
forgive me.’

‘There is nothing to forgive,’ Uncle Percy said.
‘Please, stand.’

Jason ignored him. ‘We are
your
humble servants, my master.’

Becky glanced at Joe, then Will. She had a sudden
urge to laugh, but resisted it. Something very strange was going on.

‘It was foretold?’ Uncle Percy asked curiously.

‘Yes.
The
stranger told me
.
The messenger of the gods.
He
came to me as I slept. He said I would meet you - the silver haired one, the
traveller from Brit - ain, that you - you are his trusted envoy - the rightful
owner of Nephele’s Fleece. He said we must beg to be your servants.’
 

A curious look crossed Uncle Percy’s face. ‘Then it
is my wish that you stand.’ Leaning over, he guided Jason to his feet. ‘Let us
move to the shade, you must tell me everything...’

Becky wondered whether to laugh or not. Then she
glimpsed her uncle’s expression and a sense of dread enveloped her. Any
thoughts of how amusing the situation was instantly vanished, because, for the
first time since she’d met him, she saw utter confusion and perhaps even
fear
in his eyes.