In Which David Could Not Sleep

Gorden saw David and Plessey to the guest quarters and then padded off to his own hole in the burrow.

David was tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

"Is you being okay?" Plessey asked.

David paused then replied "It's too dark, I can't sleep."

"Well," The snail replied, "Let me tell you about my travels.

"When I was a young wizard.." Plessey began..

"SNOREE!!" David said.

"I know you're not asleep," Plessey said, "So I'll continue."

---

When I was a young wizard I salied the seas in the company of a Rat called Richard.

He was a sailor all his life and had the salt in his blood. He left his last ship after hearing the tales of the Island Sha-Ka-Ri, the Island of gold and he swept me along. It's always good to have a wizard when you're on a quest, as you know.

We sailed halfway around the world when we came to a sea which seemed to go on forever.

We were nearly two weeks out of sight of land when we saw two splodges in the distance, one dark one bright. The dark splodge looked closer and we sailed towards it, in the hope of making land before our meager supplies ran out.

We landed on the island in the late afternoon and pulled our boat out of the water to be "greeted" by a handful of natives. There were about thirty of them, all lean and muscled and meanacing.

I cast a spell of Tongues and we were able to communicate with them and to make them realise we were no harm. They led us to a long building and we feasted on a myriad of strange fruits, vegetables and sea-life.

Finally, once we had eaten our fill, Richard spoke to the Head Man

"We noticed a gleam in the seas further on.." He asked "We were wondering if you knew what it was?"

"Oh yes, " the Head Man entoned, "That is the sacred isle where our Gods live. Surrounded by all that is desired."

Richard was hesitant to ask, but did:

"Is the island called Sha-Ka-Ri?"

The head man seemed impressed,

"You know of our sacred isle! You strangers from a thousand leagues away! We are truely blessed to have spared your lives!"

I took a deep gulp. Richard continued

"It is fabled, amoung my people, that the island is made of gold and precious jewels, is this true?"

"I am sorry to say that we have never been there," the head man said "it is forbidden for mortals to step on the island. Doing so risks the wrath of the gods, so we watch it from afar and live in it's blessing." He smiled.

Richard was troubled by this, he much wanted to visit the island and I could see he was weighing his options. The Head Man was watching Richard closely.

"Well," I said, "I think it's time for bed really!"

The Head man sprang up.

"Please, Sir Wizard." He spoke, "Please accept a drink of our most mighty of magical potions." One of the other natives ran away and returned with a gilded goblet full of a steaming liquid.

I took this from him and downed it in one swig. My head felt light and my eyes span.

"Whooo!" I finally managed. "I think I'll have a lie-down now.". One of the pretty natives escorted me to a hut and I fell asleep.

Some hour very early in the morning I woke with a start, I sat straight up and headed out of the hut.

Behind me I heard the padding of feet but I ignored them. Around me the air was still with no hint of a wind.

I reached our boat and noticed that someone had been at the boat, the sail was hoisted but it hung slack and empty.

I stood in the boat and called up the mage-wind. The sail billowed and the boat slid into the sea towards the slight golden glow of Sha-Ka-Ti in the star-light.

Behind me I heard a splash and some frantic paddling. I ignored it, oblivious to the world.

After about half an hour the boat slid up to Sha-Ka-Ri, the beach was not sand, but golden pebbles, the trees grew up on silver trunks with golden leaves and diamond fruit.

I stepped out of my boat onto the beach and shouted a stream of magic words. The spell started to change the air - electricity crackled around me as I cast the incantation.

Between the silver trees dark shapes were moving, shapes that moved sluggishly and slithered along the ground. Shapes which whispered amoung themselves. Shapes that began to slide out of the trees towards me. My voice raised and the lightning forked out from me, stabbing at the black shapes. The pitch of my voice increased and lightning began to fall from the heavens. Behind me I felt a paw touch me and faintly heard and ratty "OUCH!"

Flames began to pour up out of the trees and grass, lightning sparked from tree to tree, hitting the black shapes, not killing them but forcing them into cover.

I raised my voice in one final almighty magic word and the island began to shake.

I turned and saw Richard lying prone behind me. I picked him up and dragged him into our boat not a moment too soon, behind us the island convulsed in flame and lightning and began to sink beneath the waves. With a mighty sloshing sound the island sunk, a tsuname lifted the boat up and bore us away from the frothing waters.

The boat was deposited with a light clunk on the native's island.

A fog appeared to lift from my mind and I suddenly realised that I had been manipulated. Behind me Richard wept at seeing his dream scuppered.

In front of us appeared the head man.

"Thank you great wizard for saving us from the rule of those dire creatures. I apologise for using your body, but none of us have the power to do what you just did. Thank you. You can be on your way now." He turned from us and they all left and faded into the forest.

I hobbled back to the boat for a couple of steps before I realised I had something in my sock. I removed it and pulled out a golden pebble.

Richard never spoke another word to me.

---

Plessey looked over at David, whose eyes were shut and his chest was moving gently up an down. Plessey snuggled himself down to sleep and was just dozing off when he heard

"But you don't have any feet or wear socks!"

"Ah," Said Plessey "There you have me. It must have been some other wizard."