The Incredible Journey of Pete McGee (5 page)

‘What's the matter?' Mrs McGee asked.

Ashlyn tried to speak but burst into tears before she could get a word out. They were huge, body-racking sobs; the kind that make you feel like crying in sympathy. Remembering Ashlyn's Telling, Pete realised what was wrong. Finally calming down, he told his mother all about the Wilderene Flower. He told her how King Cyril the Wants-It-All was setting out to find the flower, and how Ashlyn's boyfriend was being taken along as a sacrifice.

Mrs McGee listened carefully all the way through, then told her son to go and get the Green Book. Pete's eyes widened in amazement. He had been banned his entire life from even touching the Green Book, let alone opening it. Every time he walked past it he wondered what was in it. He didn't even really want to sit down for hours with it. Just a little peek would be fine. But he couldn't do it. Knowing he had promised his mother, and knowing what the look on her face would be if she found out was what held him back. But now, now his mother had actually asked him to go and get the book. His eyes widened even more as he thought about it. He was finally going to see what was inside.

Pete pulled the Green Book off the shelf with some difficulty. It was too wide for his hand, so he had to hook it under his arm. Although it was awkward for Pete to carry, it was actually incredibly light. Pete realised this was no ordinary book. The urge to just sit down and look inside was almost overwhelming, but he resisted … just. He jumped onto his mother's bed and passed her the book. Mrs McGee smiled her thanks, although her eyes showed regret at what she was about to do.

‘I have always said you mustn't look in this book. I trust that you haven't.'

The answer was a vigorous nod; Pete was desperate for the book to be opened. His mother continued.

‘When I first became ill, your aunt, my sister, gave me this book. You have never met your aunt and she risked all to bring this to me, for she had been exiled from our town for practising magic. But bring the book she did, and I have read through it so many times I know it word for word.'

Pete couldn't contain himself any longer.

‘MUM! WHAT IS IN THE BOOK?'

‘Patience, Sir Pete McGee, is a knight's greatest strength. Evil is impatient. A knight will bide his time searching for an opening, a weakness. This is something you must work on. Now, as I was saying (she frowned at the two of them as if daring them to interrupt again), I know this book through and through. It is a book of magic, of myths and legends, and of spells. The book speaks of the Wilderene Flower. I never dared dream it actually existed.'

She handed the book to her son.

‘Page 329, Pete. Go on.'

Pete stared at the book. He laid it on his lap and opened to the first page. A sigh escaped from the book and Pete's eyes almost popped out of his head when he heard a raspy voice come from within.

‘Welcome, Pete McGee.' The voice had obviously not been used for a long time. ‘I have watched you over the years. You have done well not to open me, but I am glad we have finally met. Well go ahead. Page 329 I believe your mother said.'

Pete had to will his hand to turn the pages, and as he did so the book whispered words of encouragement. Mrs McGee watched, trying to measure her son's response. She wished Pete hadn't heard of the Wilderene Flower, but now that he had, she wanted him to know as much as he could about it, and this book was the greatest source of information that she knew of.

‘I've got it!'

Mrs McGee snapped out of her thoughts.

‘Well read it out, Sir Pete.'

He was about to start reading when the book interrupted, finding its voice.

‘Hey, hey, HEY! Why him? I mean, come on, you've got a talking book here, for crying out loud. I am of a very rare breed. I'm a book. I TALK! And you're getting a kid, no offence, but a
kid
to read this out? Crucial information, crucial I say, this is important reading that is about to take place here.'

Pete and Ashlyn looked at each other, trying not to laugh at the book's grumpiness. Suddenly it changed its tone.

‘Look, I haven't spoken for so long. Please let me read it, please? Oh come on, I'll be your best friend.'

‘No worries,' said Pete, just wanting to hear the book talk some more. He knew things such as magic existed, especially in the Tellings he so adored, but this was his first real-life experience of it. Unfortunately his mum cut in.

‘No. This is for Pete to read. You will have your chance later. Maybe. Go on Pete.'

Pete and the Green Book both moaned. The book continued to mumble and grumble under its breath as Pete cleared his throat, unable to shake the feeling that once he started reading his life from that point on would never be the same. But he also knew that a knight must take risks, must go into the unknown and rely on skills and initiative to see them through. And so it was he licked his lips and began to read.

he Wilderene Flower. The Wilderene Flower holds great power.” Hey, heh heh, flower power, that's a good one. It's a hippie flower.'

Pete McGee was cut short by a glare from his mother, so he got back to reading.

‘“The Wilderene Flower can be found at the base of the Great Oak. The oak lies north of the Plains of Obon. Although many people swear otherwise, there is but one flower. If uprooted, another flower will grow but it will take 100 years.”'

‘“The Wilderene Flower has never been picked, though many people have seen it. Those who dared try to claim the flower as their own either did not return, or were shadows of their former selves when they did. This is all due to Dazene, guard of the Wilderene Flower. Dazene appears in a different guise to each person who faces him, as their greatest fear. As the fear rises, so does Dazene's strength. There is usually little resistance from this point on. Dazene cannot be outnumbered, as he will appear to all who approach the flower, at the same time or otherwise.”'

‘“The flower has amazing properties. If swallowed, its pollen will cure any illness, and prevent it or any other from ever entering the body again. If smelt, its scent will grant the smeller one wish. If touched by blood, its thorns will kill the blood's owner.”'

Pete looked around the room. His mother was staring at her hands as they twisted the bed sheets. Ashlyn urged him to continue. Pete's mind had already raced ahead to his search for the Wilderene Flower, but he read on.

‘“The flower was first planted centuries ago by a warlock named Arlyle Motain. He gave the flower its magical properties to prevent disease, to ensure man never became extinct. He went mad though, mad with paranoia that the flower would be stolen and used for evil. It was for this reason that he transformed himself into Dazene, and it is he who still guards the flower to this day. He kept meticulous records of everything he did, including his plans to transform himself, which is the only information current records can be based upon. Blah blah blah blah blah … The end.”'

‘Oh yeah, that's great reading,' muttered the book. ‘I can say blah over and over too you know. Maybe there's something else about the flower. Maybe there's something else not written, but it doesn't matter. I wouldn't tell you now anyway. You'll just have to find out for yourself. I'm just going to say blah blah bl …' Pete ignored the book's warning and slammed it closed to shut it up. The book was out of control. He turned to his mother, his face determined.

‘I want to get the flower for you, Mum.'

Mrs McGee looked at Pete. She had known that he would want to go, and she had to admit that part of her wanted him to get the flower for her. It was beyond her wildest dreams to imagine that she could ever be well again. But she also knew how dangerous it would be.

‘You can't, Pete. You can't. You read the book. No-one has ever got the flower, and those who tried either died or may as well have.'

‘So what? Just because something's been a certain way for hundreds of years, thousands even, doesn't mean it can't change. That's how legends are born, when someone does something that people believe can't be done. That flower can be got and I'm going to get it for you.'

Mrs McGee was so distraught she even ignored Pete's bad grammar.

‘No, Pete. I forbid you to go. I forbid you to risk your life for me. Look at you. You're twelve years old. You have your whole life ahead of you … well, you have your whole life apart from the twelve years you've already had, but that's a lot of life left. I can't let you go.'

Pete McGee's voice went soft and determined, as he imagined himself as the knight from earlier in the day: strong, noble and proud.

‘But you can't stop me either, Mum. To save a fair maiden, one must risk all. No task is beyond a knight with noble intentions, guided be he by valour, integrity and love.'

‘No, Pete.' Ashlyn joined in, but the brave and noble Sir Pete McGee, now standing to full height (approximately 145 cm), cut her off.

‘No, Ashlyn. Methinks thou art but another reason for me to journey in search of this wondrous flower. Thy love inspires me to save Marloynne for thee.'

Ashlyn had no answer to that. She was amazed that someone whom she had just met could offer so much to her. Mrs McGee smiled at Ashlyn and then asked her to leave the room, as she wanted to talk to Pete alone. Once Ashlyn had left, she ordered her son to sit once more.

‘Pete, the Green Book isn't all that your aunt has given this family. When you were born with just one arm, she felt that you would need protection. The knight that you saw today was conjured up by my sister to protect you. His name is Sir Loinsteak. I didn't want her to do it but I couldn't stop her. I wanted you to be able to find your own strength.'

Mrs McGee smiled at Pete, who stared back at her, trying to take everything in.

‘You have done so well and I am so proud of you. Sir Loinsteak comes from a rare spell. He was conjured up to protect you in your times of greatest need, times when you had shown strength, truth and valour in the face of evil and hardship. Sir Loinsteak is only able to help you if you help yourself; if you are willing to face the challenge on your own. If you do not, then the cost is yours to bear. I made my sister put this condition on Sir Loinsteak. I knew then, as I know now, that there is greatness in
you
, but it is in you, not in a magical knight.'

Pete took a deep breath.

‘Why are you only telling me this now?'

‘Because now is when you need to be told. You released Sir Loinsteak today with your selfless protection of Ashlyn. Although I forbade you, I know I can't stop you searching for the flower. As much as I believe in you, I also want you to know that you aren't alone. But you need to know that the knight won't just appear whenever you want. You can't just sit back and expect him to do all the work. It still has to come from inside you, Pete. Sir Loinsteak arises from inside you.'

Pete shook his head, his thoughts a jumble of magic and knights and flowers. He stood and left the room, his mother helpless to stop him. She knew this was a lot for a boy of twelve to accept.

That was the reason she hadn't told him everything, especially about Sir Loinsteak. There were things that Pete needed to discover for himself. If the book was telling the truth, maybe there were things even she did not know. She hoped that when Pete did make new discoveries he would have the strength to be able to survive what followed. Her boy, her knight, who was about to see things borne of nightmares in order to save her life, was also about to show the world how great a person with one arm could be.