Beast World Read online

  ‘What’s going on?’ asked Archie.

  One of the armadillos handed Archie a card. ‘It seems,’ he said, reading the card, ‘that our presence is required in the drawing room.’

  The clock struck four, steam gushing from vents on either side.

  The armadillos advanced on Xandra and the others, beady eyes glaring at them.

  Without another word, the group were hastily ushered by the armadillos into a room to the right of the staircase. As soon as they were inside, the creatures skittered away, closing the door behind them.

  The drawing room was quite large – about twice the size of Xandra’s bedroom back home. Bookshelves lined two of the walls, the third was covered in framed paintings of mythical animals and the fourth was dominated by a picture window looking out onto a rose garden. The room contained two glass display cabinets filled with skulls, bones and fossils. Seated in a large armchair, pipe in mouth, book in hand, was a bear.

  The bear was brown and larger than the strongman Xandra had seen when they had gone to the circus. He wore a red velvet smoking-jacket and purple cravat.

  He looked up, closed his book and placed it carefully on the side table.

  The bear leant forward and peered at the visitors through his glasses, eyes squinting. He took the pipe out of his mouth.

  Xandra had a momentary urge to tell him that smoking was bad for his health.

  ‘Lord Edwin Josiah Pemberton-Smythe, custodian of the Royal Cryptozoological Society, at your service,’ said the bear, his voice deep but smooth. ‘Please do come closer. I wish to make sure that my eyes are not deceiving me.’

  How pompous, Xandra thought. She moved her ambulator forward, Lex keeping close beside her.

  ‘Well, well, well,’ said Lord Edwin, adjusting his glasses. ‘It certainly does seem that your theories are proved fact, Archibald, old chap. Who would have thought?’ He leaned back in his chair and took a couple of puffs of his pipe, the sweet smelling smoke wafting about him. Shifting the pipe to the corner of his mouth, he continued. ‘Please do take a seat. Although I see the young lady already has.’

  Xandra took an immediate dislike to this animal. She didn’t care for his superior tone of voice or the condescending way he looked at them.

  Archie and Lex sat side by side on the plump sofa. It was so large that Lex’s feet dangled over the end without reaching the floor. Bear-sized, thought Xandra.

  ‘The constabulary discovered these two humans wandering around the V&A,’ said Archie.

  ‘And how, pray tell, did our extraordinary young guests get there?’ asked Lord Edwin. ‘Surely someone saw them entering. And why has no one seen them before? From whence did they come?’

  ‘We’re from another world,’ said Xandra.

  ‘Another world?’ echoed the bear. ‘I hardly think that’s possible.’

  ‘But it’s true,’ said Lex. ‘We came through a doorway.’

  ‘Yes,’ agreed Xandra. ‘From a world of human beings like us.’

  ‘A world of mythical creatures?’ said Lord Edwin with a chuckle. ‘And what of the higher orders – the animals?’

  ‘We have animals too,’ said Lex. ‘But they’re not like you. They don’t talk or wear clothes. And they’re not smart or anything. They’re just … animals.’

  ‘I see.’ Lord Edwin’s expression turned cold. ‘And I suppose human beings rule this world?’

  ‘Well, yeah,’ said Lex.

  ‘I think I’ve heard enough,’ said the bear. ‘It’s clear to me that these creatures are determined to evade the truth in favour of fanciful lies. A world of humans? Naked animals that cannot talk? A doorway between worlds? What utter nonsense. Obviously your aim is to conceal the true whereabouts of your kind. It shall not work.’ He bared his teeth menacingly. ‘I will find the others of your species, even if I have to search every hill and valley of the countryside myself. You will be domesticated. I dare say human beings would make amusing pets.’

  Pets? Pets! The notion sent a shock of indignation through Xandra. She was nobody’s pet.

  Xandra opened her mouth to protest, but Lord Edwin held up a paw to stop her. ‘It matters not. There are more pressing issues.’ He turned his attention to Archie. ‘The Great Exposition will begin in three days. I want these creatures exhibited under our society banner.’ He waved a paw at the display cabinet. ‘Basilisk skulls, unicorn bones and taxidermy are all well and good. But live human specimens are another matter. A grand public unveiling at the Exposition’s opening is something that may, at last, bring me – and the Society, of course – to the personal attention of her Royal Highness.’

  Exhibits? Xandra wasn’t sure what was worse, that or pets. Either way, she was ready to tell this bear what she thought of him.

  But before she could, he picked up a bell and rang it. The door flew open and the armadillos came rushing in.

  ‘Take these beasts to their rooms,’ instructed Lord Edwin. ‘Archibald, you will remain so we may discuss the logistics of the unveiling.’

  ‘Hang on a minute,’ started Xandra.

  ‘Yeah,’ added Lex, jumping to his feet.

  ‘Remove them,’ said the bear to the armadillos.

  Xandra suddenly found her ambulator being hijacked by the little armoured creatures. Two of them leapt up onto the armrests and began operating the controls. Xandra tried to push them away, but they snapped at her and swiped with their sharp claws. Lex was also set upon and almost carried out.

  ‘Archie, help us,’ cried Xandra.

  ‘Try not to worry,’ called Archie, as Xandra and Lex were whisked out the door. ‘You’ll be fine. I’ll come see you later.’

  Xandra and Lex were whisked up the staircase, along a corridor on the second floor and through a door into an opulent sitting room. The furniture was an odd mismatch of sizes, as if each individual piece had been designed with a different animal in mind.

  The armadillos produced tape measures and proceeded to hold them up against every part of the twin’s bodies, scuttling about and grunting to themselves. Finally finished, they rushed from the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

  ‘You know,’ said Xandra, ‘I used to think armadillos were cute.’

  Lex ran to the door and tried it. ‘Locked!’ He leaned his back up against it. ‘Now what?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ admitted Xandra. ‘I suppose we try to get out.’

  Moving her ambulator to the window, she saw that the room overlooked extensive grounds with a stone wall surrounding it. There was a river – the Tamesis, Xandra remembered Archie calling it – to one side, and a road to the other. In the distance she could see the cluster of buildings that was the city of Londinium. She searched for a glimpse of the glass building, but couldn’t see it.

  She pushed the window open.

  ‘That weasel was right about unlocked upper windows,’ she said, sticking her head out. It was quite a drop. ‘Too high. We’re not getting out that way.’ She closed the window.

  There was a door at either end of the room. Lex quickly checked them both out. They led to bedrooms, each with its own en suite bathroom.

  ‘I guess we’re stuck here,’ he said.

  Xandra gripped her armrests in frustration. In a short space of time she had gone from wonder to fear, and now to frustration at being locked up. People often made judgements about her. Seeing her confined to a wheelchair, they assumed she was restricted and somehow unable to fully participate in life. But she had always refused to let her situation restrict her. So being locked in this room now angered her.

  Xandra looked up at the book shelf that stood against one wall. ‘The next best thing to escape,’ she said, ‘is information.’ She moved her ambulator to the books and began browsing.

  The History of the Rise and Ascendance of the United Animal Kingdom of Britannia by Edward Gibbon

  On the Origin of the Animal Species by Charles Darwin

  The Londinium Almanac and Londinium Maps and …

  So ma
ny different books.

  ‘Come on,’ said Xandra, ‘we need to find out as much about this world as we can.’

  Lex sighed as he looked at all the books. Xandra reached for The History of the Rise and Ascendance of the United Animal Kingdom of Britannia. ‘Why don’t you try the maps, Lex?’

  Xandra found out that not all animals were intelligent and able to speak. There were many references to ‘The Great Divide’, the line that separated sentient animals from those driven purely by instinct. Birds, insects and fish all fell below the line, as did many (but not all) rodents.

  After years of fighting among the species, the animals were united under the rule of the lions. For many years, the lions still ate other animals that were under their rule, until those animals banded together and forced King John to sign the Species Declaration of 1215. This document made it illegal for any animal above the divide to eat any other animal above the divide.

  Since then, many animals embraced vegetarianism. Others discovered the culinary delights of fish, insects and birds. Outside of Londinium, large areas of land had been devoted to farming insects and birds, as well as fruit and vegetables, and fishing barges wove their way up and down the River Tamesis.

  While Xandra read up about history, Lex studied maps of Londinium and the surrounding areas.

  He looked thoughtful, then said, ‘I reckon we’re about ten kilometres from the Victoria and Albert Museum. Not too far if we manage to escape.’ He tapped his finger on the map. ‘And that glass building you were interested in, is in Bird-Hide Park.’

  ‘I wonder if there’s anything in these books about that building.’ Leaving the history book open on the table, Xandra turned to browse the shelves. She ran a finger along the spines, stopping at What Lies Within. On impulse, she pulled it out and opened it. The pages had all been glued together and a space hollowed out of them. It was a hiding place, but it was empty. Xandra smiled. The weasel had been right! ‘A hollow book,’ said Xandra. She put it back and grabbed The Londinium Almanac instead. ‘This might have something about the building.’ Xandra started reading and Lex returned to his maps.

  The two of them were still poring over books when they heard a jangling sound at the door.

  ‘Keys,’ whispered Lex. He put his book down and went to stand near the door.

  An armadillo in a tail coat pushed the door open and stepped to one side. Two more of the creatures wheeled in a trolley with a silver-domed tray.

  Xandra’s eyes were immediately drawn to the door. The key was in the lock, attached to a ring from which dangled at least another dozen keys. Lex edged closer.

  Positioning the trolley next to the table, the two armadillos scuttled outside. The first armadillo made to follow.

  ‘Wait!’ called Xandra.

  The armoured creature tilted his head to one side as he regarded her.

  ‘Um …’ she said, desperately trying to think of a way to keep him there. ‘I need some help with my ambulator.’

  Lex shuffled closer to the door.

  The armadillo stared at Xandra.

  ‘It’s the direction lever,’ she said, hand touching the control on the left armrest. ‘I think you and your friends broke it when you brought us up here.’

  As the armadillo approached the ambulator, Xandra looked over to see Lex carefully take hold of the keys. Using one hand to keep the dangling keys quiet, he used his other to pull the key out of the lock.

  Xandra kept shifting her gaze from the creature to Lex.

  The armadillo examined the lever, shook its head and stepped back. Her brother was still fiddling with the keys, trying to remove their door key from the ring.

  ‘Please,’ pleaded Xandra, ‘it’s broken.’

  The armadillo tilted its head again and leaned forward.

  Lex wrenched the key free, but the latch on the ring sprang open and the keys scattered across the floor.

  The armadillo spun round as Lex stepped away from the door and held his hands up in the air as if to say ‘it wasn’t me’.

  With a snuffling snarl the armadillo sprang across the room and began scrabbling up the keys. Lex attempted to put a foot onto one of the keys, but the creature snapped at him, and he jumped back.

  Xandra grabbed the book in front of her and hefted it at the armadillo. It slammed onto the floor to the right of him. The creature looked back at her, baring its teeth.

  Two more armadillos came rushing in, helping their colleague to gather up the fallen keys. And then they were scuttling out of the room, slamming the door.

  ‘Bummer,’ said Lex with a sigh. ‘But it was worth a try.’

  ‘It definitely was,’ replied Xandra. ‘Could you pick up that book I threw?’

  ‘You need to work on your aim,’ said Lex, as he bent over to retrieve it.

  As he picked it up, his eyes widened. There were two keys beneath its pages. He snatched them up and looked at his sister. She was grinning at him.

  ‘I think my aim is just fine,’ she said.

  Lex immediately made for the door.

  ‘No,’ called Xandra, stopping him in his tracks. ‘Those things might still be out there.’

  Lex pressed his ear to the door. ‘I can hear movement.’

  ‘Give them to me,’ said Xandra. ‘Then put the book back down on the floor … exactly as it was.’

  Lex repositioned the book and Xandra reached over to the shelves and pulled out the hollow book to hide the keys in. She’d only just slid it back in place when the door was again pushed open. The armadillos were back.

  One went straight for the book on the floor, tossing it aside. The other two leapt at Lex, little hands patting his clothes and searching his pockets.

  ‘Hey, get off me,’ complained Lex.

  The armadillos ignored him, finishing their task and moving on to Xandra. She sat still and let them conduct their search.

  The three creatures then checked the floor, table and trolley before scuttling away, making disgruntled noises as they went. The door slammed and there was the sound of a key turning in the lock.

  Lex let out a long groan and Xandra smiled.

  ‘Now what?’ asked Lex.

  ‘We wait,’ said Xandra. She looked over to the trolley. ‘And eat.’

  ‘Yes!’ said Lex, face lighting up. ‘I am starving!’

  He rushed over to the trolley and lifted the lid. There was an amazing array of food laid out on the tray – sautéed vegetables, chicken legs in a thick honey glaze, poached fish and baked crickets; and some sort of steamed fruit pudding for dessert.

  ‘I think I’ll pass on the bugs,’ Lex said. ‘But everything else looks good.’

  The smell reached Xandra’s nostrils and her tummy rumbled. She realised that they hadn’t eaten any lunch. Putting the books aside, she and her brother got stuck into the food.

  As they ate, they filled each other in on what they had read.

  ‘This is such a bizarre and amazing world,’ mused Xandra, as she ate her pudding.

  ‘I guess.’ Lex pushed his portion of dessert around his plate without eating any. ‘But how do we get home?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Xandra took a long, deep breath. ‘But I think we might find a way in that glass building we saw.’

  ‘Huh?’ said Lex.

  ‘I know this is going to sound weird, but …’ She took another deep breath. ‘I got this strange feeling when we drove past that park. It … it was like a tugging inside of me. A … a want … a need to go inside. It was similar to how I felt about the painting in the museum. That feeling led us to this world. So maybe this new feeling will lead us back home.’ She ran a hand over her eyes. ‘I can’t explain it any better than that.’

  ‘Okay.’

  ‘Okay?’ Xandra stared at her brother. ‘You believe me?’

  ‘Dunno,’ said Lex, honestly. ‘But I don’t have anything better. So if you want to go to the building … I’m with you.’

  Xandra was so used to Lex trying to be the one in char
ge. But sometimes he surprised her.

  ‘According to The Londinium Almanac, that building is called the Crystalline Palace and it’s been built for this Great Exposition that the bear was talking about.’

  ‘So,’ said Lex. ‘We escape tonight and head for this Crystalline Palace?’

  Xandra desperately wanted out of this place. She hated the fact that she was being confined against her will. But she was worried.

  ‘I’m not sure,’ she said to Lex. ‘Trying to escape in this noisy ambulator thing is not going to work. Besides …’ Her voice trailed away as she glanced towards the hollow book.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ asked Lex.

  Xandra turned back to face her brother. ‘We don’t know which doors those keys will open. We may not even be able to get out of this room. We may still be prisoners!’

  When darkness fell, they tried the keys in the sitting-room door. One of them worked. So they prepared themselves and waited a little longer. When they heard the clock strike twelve, Lex snuck out of the room to see if the second key would get them out of the house.

  Xandra waited, sitting on top of the food trolley. She felt ridiculous. But it made sense. This makeshift transport would be a lot quieter than the clanking, hissing ambulator.

  Lex had removed the top section of the trolley and replaced it with a chair, tied into place using a bedsheet. Xandra thought he’d looked quite proud of his construction, and she was proud of him too. He’d even lubricated the wheels with some leftover sauce from the vegetables, to make sure they didn’t squeak. He’d proved himself to be quite resourceful.

  Lex returned, disappointment on his face. ‘No luck,’ he explained. ‘The key doesn’t let us out of the house.’

  Xandra sighed. ‘Well at least we can explore.’

  Lex wheeled Xandra out into the corridor. Dim gas lamps, set at intervals along the wall, threw little pools of light into the gloomy shadows.

  Quietly, they moved up the corridor, Lex opening doors and looking into rooms. They were all bedrooms and sitting rooms.

  ‘Try the other way,’ whispered Xandra.