Chapter 8
Time to help out
Tommy’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an almighty ringing of a bell from the far end of the room. It startled the three of them, causing Saber to jump to her feet with a loud roar. Mr. Keeper had now got to his feet also, and whilst holding his long white beard to one side, delved with his other hand into the pocket of the blue garment that he wore. He was trying to retrieve an instrument of some kind which was making a high sounding bleeping noise.
“Please excuse me.” He apologized above the sound of the ringing bell in the background. Esmeralda stroked and comforted Saber, giving an assuring glance to Tommy as much to say that everything would be okay shortly.
Mr. Keeper had now retrieved the instrument from the pocket of his gown and was pressing buttons here and there on what looked like some kind of communication device. Suddenly normality was restored again as the bell stopped ringing.
“I have a serious problem,” Mr. Keeper said, with a concerned look on his face.
“Two reindeer are trapped in fast flowing water at the far end of the forest, and are in danger of drowning if they don’t get help soon.”
He looked very worried. “They have two young reindeer which will not survive without a mother or father.”
Esmeralda and Tommy listened intently to what the keeper was saying.
“Can we help in any way?” Asked Esmeralda; Tommy nodded his head eagerly in agreement.
“Oh yes please,” Mr. Keeper replied, “extra hands will be very useful in this situation believe me, come we must make our way there without any further delay.” He insisted.
Esmeralda picked up her bag and they all made their way towards the far end of the dining room half running, with the keeper guiding the way, his silver cane held aloft in the air as if to say ‘follow me’.
They stopped at the end of the dining room before an oval shaped mirror that hung on the wall; it looked very ornate with gold edging carved all around it. Tommy noticed that it didn’t reflect anything even though Mr. Keeper was standing in front of it. Am I seeing things? he thought to himself.
No sooner had he thought about it when Mr. Keeper held his silver cane up and waived it in front of the mirror which reflected the cane only. This is no ordinary cane… no way, Tommy muttered to himself. Suddenly a door opened in the wall to the side of the mirror. A door that certainly wasn’t there a moment ago or he would have seen it.
“No time to waste.” Mr. Keeper cried, ushering them through the doorway. Saber quickly responded padding her way through with the others. They were suddenly in a small room similar to a London underground station platform. It was well lit by a number of oil lamps placed here and there on the walls, similar to those Tommy had seen earlier.
There was also a tunnel coming into and going out of the room with an unmistakable smell of fresh air flowing along it. Yes, sure enough a carriage appeared at the platform hardly making a sound as it arrived. The sliding doors opened and they all followed Mr. Keeper inside.
The doors closed again as they sat themselves down in seats not unlike normal trains, Saber lying on the floor beside Esmeralda. Mr. Keeper had now moved to the front of the carriage and stood before a panel with lots of buttons and flashing lights. He proceeded to speak into a fixed microphone on the wall:
“Section five, position seventeen,“ he said hastily whilst pressing some of the buttons on the panel.
They began to move off immediately, silently, without hardly any movement of the carriage at all, and at great speed from what they could tell by the flashing of lights now and again outside the window, as they sped by what must have been other exit points.
Tommy sat close to Esmeralda, not because he was frightened, oh no, he had come to like her so much and respected her for what she knew about the forest, and all the secrets it contained. He was enjoying this day like no other.
Saber rested a paw on Tommy’s foot as they sped along on their quest to save the stricken reindeer. The flashing lights started to slow down, the carriage coming to a halt with the sliding doors opening.
“Come!” Mr. Keeper said. “We have arrived, and must delay no longer than is necessary,” he said hurriedly. “Follow me!”.
Saber was out first as usual, with the others quickly behind her. Almost immediately the doors closed and the carriage was gone, with just a slight movement of air in the tunnel.
They stood on a platform, which looked the same as the one they had gotten on beforehand. Tommy noticed a brass plate on the wall, which read ‘Section 5 –17’.
“Up we go.” Said Mr. Keeper as they made their way up some steps to a door they could see at the top.
On getting there Mr. Keeper opened the door, and they all made their way through it into bright daylight once again. Tommy turned around just in time to see Mr. Keeper waiving his silver cane in the air, all that remained was a huge rock with no opening whatsoever or any kind of door.
Once again they were in a most beautiful place with huge trees of all descriptions, the sound of birds singing rang out from the tree tops and the floor was carpeted with ferns similarly to Esmeralda’s garden, except these were much larger coming well up to their shoulders.
Mr. Keeper made his way forward brushing the ferns to one side with his cane as he progressed. Esmeralda and Tommy were right behind him. Saber quietly followed at the rear with her long body striding through the dense undergrowth.
They could soon hear the sound of running water ahead and the faint cry of the distressed reindeer - they were getting nearer. Saber stopped perfectly still for a moment, one front paw raised off the ground, her ears up high and her nose sniffing the cool air, all her senses were now concentrated on the cry for help in the distance. Her huge body suddenly surged forward in leaps and bounds through the undergrowth ahead of the others and she was soon out of sight.
Time to help out
Tommy’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by an almighty ringing of a bell from the far end of the room. It startled the three of them, causing Saber to jump to her feet with a loud roar. Mr. Keeper had now got to his feet also, and whilst holding his long white beard to one side, delved with his other hand into the pocket of the blue garment that he wore. He was trying to retrieve an instrument of some kind which was making a high sounding bleeping noise.
“Please excuse me.” He apologized above the sound of the ringing bell in the background. Esmeralda stroked and comforted Saber, giving an assuring glance to Tommy as much to say that everything would be okay shortly.
Mr. Keeper had now retrieved the instrument from the pocket of his gown and was pressing buttons here and there on what looked like some kind of communication device. Suddenly normality was restored again as the bell stopped ringing.
“I have a serious problem,” Mr. Keeper said, with a concerned look on his face.
“Two reindeer are trapped in fast flowing water at the far end of the forest, and are in danger of drowning if they don’t get help soon.”
He looked very worried. “They have two young reindeer which will not survive without a mother or father.”
Esmeralda and Tommy listened intently to what the keeper was saying.
“Can we help in any way?” Asked Esmeralda; Tommy nodded his head eagerly in agreement.
“Oh yes please,” Mr. Keeper replied, “extra hands will be very useful in this situation believe me, come we must make our way there without any further delay.” He insisted.
Esmeralda picked up her bag and they all made their way towards the far end of the dining room half running, with the keeper guiding the way, his silver cane held aloft in the air as if to say ‘follow me’.
They stopped at the end of the dining room before an oval shaped mirror that hung on the wall; it looked very ornate with gold edging carved all around it. Tommy noticed that it didn’t reflect anything even though Mr. Keeper was standing in front of it. Am I seeing things? he thought to himself.
No sooner had he thought about it when Mr. Keeper held his silver cane up and waived it in front of the mirror which reflected the cane only. This is no ordinary cane… no way, Tommy muttered to himself. Suddenly a door opened in the wall to the side of the mirror. A door that certainly wasn’t there a moment ago or he would have seen it.
“No time to waste.” Mr. Keeper cried, ushering them through the doorway. Saber quickly responded padding her way through with the others. They were suddenly in a small room similar to a London underground station platform. It was well lit by a number of oil lamps placed here and there on the walls, similar to those Tommy had seen earlier.
There was also a tunnel coming into and going out of the room with an unmistakable smell of fresh air flowing along it. Yes, sure enough a carriage appeared at the platform hardly making a sound as it arrived. The sliding doors opened and they all followed Mr. Keeper inside.
The doors closed again as they sat themselves down in seats not unlike normal trains, Saber lying on the floor beside Esmeralda. Mr. Keeper had now moved to the front of the carriage and stood before a panel with lots of buttons and flashing lights. He proceeded to speak into a fixed microphone on the wall:
“Section five, position seventeen,“ he said hastily whilst pressing some of the buttons on the panel.
They began to move off immediately, silently, without hardly any movement of the carriage at all, and at great speed from what they could tell by the flashing of lights now and again outside the window, as they sped by what must have been other exit points.
Tommy sat close to Esmeralda, not because he was frightened, oh no, he had come to like her so much and respected her for what she knew about the forest, and all the secrets it contained. He was enjoying this day like no other.
Saber rested a paw on Tommy’s foot as they sped along on their quest to save the stricken reindeer. The flashing lights started to slow down, the carriage coming to a halt with the sliding doors opening.
“Come!” Mr. Keeper said. “We have arrived, and must delay no longer than is necessary,” he said hurriedly. “Follow me!”.
Saber was out first as usual, with the others quickly behind her. Almost immediately the doors closed and the carriage was gone, with just a slight movement of air in the tunnel.
They stood on a platform, which looked the same as the one they had gotten on beforehand. Tommy noticed a brass plate on the wall, which read ‘Section 5 –17’.
“Up we go.” Said Mr. Keeper as they made their way up some steps to a door they could see at the top.
On getting there Mr. Keeper opened the door, and they all made their way through it into bright daylight once again. Tommy turned around just in time to see Mr. Keeper waiving his silver cane in the air, all that remained was a huge rock with no opening whatsoever or any kind of door.
Once again they were in a most beautiful place with huge trees of all descriptions, the sound of birds singing rang out from the tree tops and the floor was carpeted with ferns similarly to Esmeralda’s garden, except these were much larger coming well up to their shoulders.
Mr. Keeper made his way forward brushing the ferns to one side with his cane as he progressed. Esmeralda and Tommy were right behind him. Saber quietly followed at the rear with her long body striding through the dense undergrowth.
They could soon hear the sound of running water ahead and the faint cry of the distressed reindeer - they were getting nearer. Saber stopped perfectly still for a moment, one front paw raised off the ground, her ears up high and her nose sniffing the cool air, all her senses were now concentrated on the cry for help in the distance. Her huge body suddenly surged forward in leaps and bounds through the undergrowth ahead of the others and she was soon out of sight.