Roland's Castle (31 page)

“Now, there is one thing I must do
before we go into battle…” Roland said, and he addressed the
yee-hove-hees, “Yee-hove-hees! I have been given sovereignty over
you by arrangement with the Mistress of the Lighthouse, who has
purchased you for me; you are mine to command!”

The yee-hove-hees looked attentive,
awaiting his orders.

“But I cannot and will not order
you into battle as slaves. Therefore I set you free, and ask that
you
volunteer
to help us!”

The yee-hove-hees seemed stunned,
as if they didn’t know what was happening, then they lifted up the
boat and threw it as high as they could, “Yee-hove-hee-free! They
cried.

“Will you help us?” Roland asked,
hoping above hope.

“Yee-hove-yes!” cried the yee
hove-hees.

Roland thanked goodness under his
breath, then pointed to where his army was formed up and commanded,
“Yee-hove-hee!”

“Yee-hove-hee!” cried the
yee-hove-hees, and the boat was propelled to the front of the
column. From their vantage at the top of the hill Roland explained
his plan to Og-dra-gob, they then lost no time in descending from
the hill to the place where Roland had decided they would deploy.
They lined up in battle order with the villagers in the middle,
ready with their bows, and the tourneyers and the sun warriors on
either flank, ready to charge. Roland, Savitri and Oliver, in the
Ogleforth boat, were right at the front.

“Now the next move is theirs. We
must wait for them to come to us!” Roland said.

“How do you know they will?” Oliver
asked.

“Because they think they have the
material advantage,” Roland said, “Even without the land surveyors
they are too arrogant to ignore such a challenge – they will come
and get us!”

The attackers
could see some of what was going on in the castle through the gap
the scuttler left when it had crashed through the castle wall. The
Spirus were mounting up and getting ready to move out. The rumbling
and the growling of the scuttlers was audible although Roland
couldn’t yet see them. There were clearly a lot of Spirus, an
unbelievable number, pouring out as if from every corner and
crevice of the castle.

“Where are they all coming from?”
Oliver asked, “Was there even room in the castle for all of
them?”

“We didn’t see many when we in
there, did we?” said Roland.

“They were all packed tightly into
odd spaces, standing upright in ranks, toe to heel,” said Savitri,
“That’s their idea of great R&R.”

“Sounds boring,” said Oliver, “I
almost feel sorry for them.”

“Don’t!” said Savitri, angrily.

“Sorry,” said Oliver.

The drawbridge was lowered and a
brigade of Spirus charged out with a scuttler close behind. Seconds
later two more scuttlers followed, then more mounted Spirus. As
those made their way around the castle toward the attackers, the
other two scuttlers manoeuvred through the gap in the castle walls
and dived into the moat. They emerged on the other side and
proceeded toward Roland and his troops.

“We must wait until the very last
minute,” said Roland, “They have to be close for any of this to
work…”

The Spirus plainly assumed that the
scuttlers were now their main tactical advantage. Their cavalry
hung back lazily waiting to mop up whilst the scuttlers advanced,
the trio who had come across the drawbridge curving in from the
left and the two who had come through the wall moving in a straight
line from the castle. The latter were almost in range for their
missiles to strike Roland and his allies when Roland gave the
order, “Yee-hove-hee!”

The Ogleforth boat moved off at
great speed towards them.

“I think I understand what you are
going to try,” Oliver said, “Are you sure this will work?”

“Of course I’m not sure!” said
Roland, “but it’s the best idea I could think of!”

“Just checking. As long as it’s the
best idea! However bad, as long as it’s the best we have!”

One of the scuttlers saw them
coming and its horns started to generate the fire. It let it go and
the missile came rushing toward the boat.

“Right!” said Roland, “It’s time to
put theory to the test! Action stations!”

Instead of
manoeuvring to avoid the charge they sailed right into its way. The
missile came roaring in, growing larger by the second. They
swivelled the racquet around to face it and pulled it back so it
was poised ready. As the fireball passed over the ship’s bow they
let the racquet go. Just like the ogles on the moon the fireball
rebounded off the racquet, albeit with a different sound – more a
‘dwoiiiiing––annnnnnng’ than a ‘twang––
oiiiiiing
’. The
missile was sent screeching back to whence it had come. It hit the
scuttler straight in the head, between its horns, and it exploded
in a blaze of flame and sparks.

“It works!” Oliver cried, jumping
up and down, “Roland! You’re a genius!”

“We’ve got four more to go,” said
Roland, “let’s not get too excited just yet…”

The rest of the battle was
proceeding as planned. As the trio had moved off to attack the
first scuttler Og-dra-gob had ordered his knights and the sun
warriors to charge the Spirus cavalry. At the same time the
villagers opened up with volley after volley of arrows into their
midst.

Roland looked at the next scuttler
on his target list — the other one that had come through the castle
wall.

“We will have to circle around to
put some distance between us and it,” he said, and ordered,
“Yee-hove-right!”

The yee-hove-hees manoeuvred the
ship to the right and they coasted around in a circle to come back
around in front of the scuttler. It was now close enough to the
villagers to hit them with its missiles and succeeded in getting
off a shot that whistled over their heads, parting their hair. It
now had their range and the next shot would be deadly. There wasn’t
time to organise a head—on approach so Roland steered the boat so
that it would intercept the next burst whilst moving across in
front of the scuttler. Savitri and Oliver turned the racquet to
face sideways and Roland watched the scuttler intently to make sure
that the timing was right.

He timed it well and again the
racquet returned the charge to its source. This time it glanced off
the side of the scuttler which was knocked of course and came to a
halt, clearly damaged. It was not a knockout blow but at least they
had shielded the archers from its deadly effects. They circled
around as it prepared to fire once more. They had now got its
attention and it was aiming its fire at them, not at the
archers.

“Looks like we’re in for it,” said
Oliver.

That’s what we need to happen,”
said Roland, “Get ready.”

They were now facing the scuttler
head—on and it was aiming straight at them. They were much closer
than they had been before and when the burst struck the racquet the
whole boat shuddered and creaked. The missile was again returned to
the head of the scuttler, which exploded with another shower of
sparks and flame.

“Wonder how many of those this old
barge can take,” said Oliver.

The villagers let out a great cheer
before returning to their task of showering the Spirus with arrows.
Roland looked across the field and saw that Count Og-dra-gob and
the sun warriors were embedded in a dense mêlée, but seemed to be
getting the better of the enemy. Seeing this Roland looked about
for the other scuttlers.

The Spirus had clearly realised
that something was going wrong with their plans and that the
scuttlers were being destroyed. This was plainly new to them and a
bit of a shock. Instead of heading right into the battle the other
three were holding back and looked like they might even retreat.
Roland ordered a course be set for them.

“They must all be destroyed,” he
said, “if there is to be any peace around here.”

At the sight of the Ogleforth boat
coming toward them the scuttlers headed for a copse of trees and
before the boat could catch them had hidden themselves in it.

“They’re running scared!” Oliver
cried.

“They’ve adopted a good tactic – it
might work,” Roland cautioned.

As they got closer they could hear
the rumbling and crashing of the scuttlers within the wood as they
ploughed new paths amongst the trees. They got closer still and as
they did one stuck its head out and emitted a shot that nearly took
the boat out. They had got too close without being able to see an
enemy which had a view of them. Roland ordered that they back off
and again they circled around. As they returned in the direction of
the copse another scuttler stuck its head out and fired. They
returned the shot which crashed into the trees and started a fire,
but with no affect on the scuttler. Almost immediately it fired
again. Once more they grabbed the ropes of the racquet, positioned
it and pulled it back, only much faster than they had ever done it
before. There was little time for judging the shot but by now they
were well practised and returned the fireball back to its origin
resulting in another shower of sparks and flame. Another one
down.

“Two more to go,” said Roland,
looking around the field to check what else was taking place. As he
did he noticed that a large brigade of Spirus cavalry was heading
out of the castle and making straight for them.

“We have incoming,” he said, “I’m
surprised they haven’t tried a cavalry attack on us sooner. I don’t
see any help coming from Og-dra-gob and the archers are too far
away. We will just have to try to defend ourselves – or run.”

“I suggest running,” said
Savitri.

“You? Run?” Oliver queried.

“From them, in the case of
impossible odds, YES!” said Savitri.

As before, Roland knew that if
Savitri of all people was advising a retreat, it was good
advice.

He swung the boat around and
circled the wood, looking amongst the leaves and branches trying to
see a sign of one of the scuttlers. They plainly knew that
reinforcements were on the way and were not going to take any
chances until those arrived. It seemed hopeless. The Spirus cavalry
were almost upon the boat now and they were certain to be
overwhelmed. Roland looked again to the mêlées but there was no
hope of help from Count Og-dra-gob or the sun warriors, who were
still deeply immersed in their own battle.

“We should have brought some
accompanying troops,” said Roland, “My fault, my pride…”

“We have done well,” said Savitri,
as the Spirus thundered closer, their hooves beating out
defeat.

“Not well enough, I fear,” said
Roland.

At that moment it all changed. As
if from nowhere the boat was surrounded by another group of
cavalry, as if they had descended onto the battlefield from above.
Doubtless they had, too.

“We have been watching!” Said
Brother Stalwart, brandishing his sword, “You need us now!”

And the knights Fortressers engaged
the attacking Spirus in furious battle.

“You are full of surprises,” Oliver
said to Roland.

“I didn’t plan this,” Roland said,
“I would never have asked them. They’ve decided to do this by
themselves.”

“But won’t they die if they kill?”
asked Savitri

Roland was silent.

Protected from the Spirus cavalry
by the Fortressers, the trio prepared to circle the woods once
more. As they did so the two remaining scuttlers broke from cover
and headed for the mêlée between the Spirus cavalry and the
Fortressers. Roland chose the nearest one to attack and set a
course to do so. Upon seeing the boat it tried to change course but
Roland was persistent in blocking its way. Finally the monster had
had enough. It was now growling and shaking as if thoroughly
antagonised. It charged its horns with lightning and sent a burst
straight towards the boat. They struck it straight-on and sent it
back but the creature tried to dodge out of the way. The missile
hit its rear, just wounding it. It snarled with rage and set
another burst running. This time the trio made sure of it, sending
the shot back with a firm dwoiiiiing––annnnnnng! The creature tried
to dodge out of the way again but the shot hit the side of its head
with the usual fireworks.

“Four down, one to go!” cried
Oliver.

The mêlée between the Knights
Fortressers and the Spirus was continuing with undying ferocity.
The remaining scuttler seemed uncertain what to do, whether to aid
its fellows or to turn its fire on the Ogleforth boat. Its days of
easy pickings were over and its destruction beckoned. Roland was
determined it would be destroyed but to achieve that he had to get
its attention. He sailed far out in front of it and turned to
confront it. It raised its horns and the lightning formed upon
them. Then it produced a new strategy. Instead of firing the
missile directly at the boat it fired it upwards into the air so
that it travelled in an arc, curving up then down towards the
boat.

“Look out!” Yelled Oliver

They were unable to do anything
with it and it nearly hit and destroyed them -

only some quick footwork by the
yee–hove–hees avoided it.

They turned, circled around and
came back. Once more a lightning bolt arced up and nearly came down
on top of them – the yee-hove-hees again getting them out of the
way just in time.

Roland took a deep breath, “Again!”
he said.

Roland decided it was time to start
getting in the way of the missiles again instead of trying to avoid
them. They circled around once more and came in, this time more
slowly. The scuttler generated its lightning, aimed – and fired.
The missile soared up into the air and came arcing in towards them.
Roland ordered the boat to turn in a tight circle so that they
moved out of the missile’s path, then back on the right course
needed to return the fire. For a moment it looked as if the shot
would pass right over the top of the boat but Roland was prepared
for that; at just the right moment, whilst they were still moving,
he yelled “Yee-hove-leap!” as he Oliver and Savitri pulled back on
the racquet.