“That will mean we have to sacrifice many of our soldiers, won’t it?” asked one of the Generals, looking concerned.
“Certainly,” replied the Wizard. “What are soldiers for?” he added angrily. “If that worries you, I don’t want you as a leader.”
“No . . . I just wanted to clear that up,” said the General, sweat breaking out on his forehead. “I meant no offence.”
“Just as long as you all remember that the job has to be done – no matter what the cost,” said the Wizard. “Do . . .you . . . understand?” They all nodded.
“Very well,” continued the Wizard. “You set out for Bivia in the longboats at precisely three o’clock in the morning, the day after tomorrow. That should get you to the island by six o’clock, just as the people are waking up. You can give them an early morning surprise.” He smirked. “Now go and organise your soldiers and archers. You will need every minute between now and the invasion to train them in what they have to do.” He dismissed the Generals with a wave of his hand.
The next important task that the Wizard had to do was to inform the people of Laboria that they were going to war. He hurried back to the cave and entered the communications room. Soon, every television on the island gave out a blast to signal the Wizard’s message as he appeared on the screens.
“My loyal citizens of Laboria,” he announced, “the time has arrived for us to take revenge for the pain and suffering that the evil Witch of Bivia has caused us for so long. As I promised you, I have developed a powerful spell that now surrounds our island to protect you. I also have a plan that will ensure victory for our great empire and the destruction of that wicked sorceress and her heartless people. Our brave troops are preparing for an attack in the near future and I only ask that you support them in their struggle. We have suffered enough! Now it is our turn!”
The message was repeated throughout the day and into the night. Crowds walked to the forecourt in front of the cave to demonstrate their support for the Wizard. They waved signs saying, ‘Down With The Wicked Witch’, ‘Glory To Our Brave Soldiers’, ‘Destroy Bivia’. The people were at
frenzy pitch and the Wizard watched it all with satisfaction.
Chapter 28
Matilda Has An Idea
Clementine, her Familiars, Matilda, Peri and Bolgobin were all gathered around a television set in the lounge room watching the Wizard’s speech and the public demonstration that followed it.
“I can pick up all of his broadcasts,” said Clementine. “The transmission tower is on top of their volcano. It allows me to keep track of the lies he is spreading. Not that I can do much about it.”
“We can’t just sit here doing nothing,” protested Matilda. “He’s getting away with it. There must be something we can do.”
“Let’s go for a walk,” said Clementine with a sigh. “I have something to show you.”
They walked through the house and out into a pleasant back area, more like a small park, with stone walking-paths, colourful blossoms and trees and shrubs. The air was clear and clean.
Clementine went over to a box-like structure covered in a black sheet. She took one corner of the cover and pulled it away. In front of them was a large cage –and in it was Gwodlyn. The white tiger glared at them from behind the bars. His scowl was so horrible that Matilda jumped backwards.
“Don’t worry,” said Clementine, “there is a spell around the cage to stop him misbehaving. We’ll have to convince him to change his personality before we let him out.”
“How did he get here?” asked Bolgobin.
“He arrived last night when Hermalkin vaporised him. Everybody who is vaporised ends up here, although nobody else is put in a cage. Come, I’ll show you.”
They helped the witch replace the cover and then walked through a gate at the end of the path. They proceeded up a small hill to an attractive, two-storey house with a sign on the front that said, ‘OUR WELCOME VISITORS’. Clementine went up to the front door and rang a bell.
The door was opened by a small woman. Bolgobin gasped. “I know you,” he said to her. “Maefin!”
A smile broke out on the woman’s face. “Bolgobin!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here, for goodness sake?”
“I might ask you the same question,” said Bolgobin.
“Excuse me Clementine,” apologised Maefin, “I don’t want to appear rude. Come inside.”
When Maefin had arranged a cup of tea for everybody, the group sat around a table in the garden. Bolgobin could hardly contain his curiosity. “Well,” he said impatiently, “how did you get here?”
“You may not know it but the Wizard is the one who casts the spells that turn our people into pigs and blames it on Clementine,” explained Maefin. “A truly disgusting man.”
“Yes, yes, we know that,” said Bolgobin.
“Well, when we are vaporised by Hermalkin, we aren’t really hurt at all. We are just transported across the sea to the safety of Bivia,” she continued, “and to our beautiful Clementine.”
“Don’t you miss your friends and family?” enquired Matilda.
“Of course,” answered Maefin. “But we have no choice. We can’t return to Laboria. The Wizard wouldn’t allow it in case we told the people the truth. And we are well looked after here.”
“How many of you are there?” asked Bolgobin.
“Two hundred and thirty six at the last count,” said Maefin. “There are many more houses like this one. Twenty Laborians live in this residence.”
“And you’re all happy?” asked Matilda.
“Certainly. That is until we can safely return to our families – if ever,” said Maefin.
“I have a brilliant idea!” cried Matilda, jumping to her feet.
Everybody stared at her with their mouths open.
Chapter 29
Return Fire
“Do you have any pictures of what the Zithium does to the sea?” asked Matilda.
“Yes,” replied Clementine. “Thor took some photographs on one of his illegal flights and sent them to me.”
“I think it’s about time the people of Laboria were told the truth,” said Matilda.
“How do we manage that?” asked Clementine.
“A little bit of magic and some help from our friends,” replied Matilda. “You said the transmission tower was on the top of the volcano, didn’t you?”
“Yes,” responded Clementine.
“Then, if you can receive messages from Laboria, we should be able to send messages back,” explained Matilda excitedly. “Their transmission tower is well above the spell shield the Wizard has put up and that’s where Peri comes in.”
Peri perked up. “What do I have to do?” she asked.
“We have to prepare a program showing how the Wizard is destroying the environment, how he has been vaporising the people for his own ends and what his real purpose is. I’m sure the men and women who have ended up here will help us out. Then we send it to Laboria. That’s your job,Peri.”
“Two questions,” said Bolgobin. “What’s to stop the Wizard pulling the plug on the program as soon as it starts? And what if the Laborians think we have forced their people to say bad things about the Wizard.”
“Mm-m-m, good questions,” Matilda replied. “With the second question, I think the people we use, like Maefin, will convince them that they are telling the truth. I mean, they’re here, alive, aren’t they? But how do we stop the Wizard from cutting off the broadcast?”
“I think I have the answer to that,” offered Clementine. “It could mean that Hermalkin is placed in a dangerous position but I can’t see any other way. I’ll let him know what we’re doing and he will have to try to keep the Wizard away from any broadcast.”
“Can you contact him as soon as possible? While you’re doing that we’ll start to put the program together. We have the rest of today and tomorrow to get it done if Hermalkin’s information is correct.”
Hermalkin knew that a message was coming from Biv
ia when an implant in his hood gave him a small shock. He wound his way up to his bedroom and uncovered the crystal ball. Listening to what Clementine had to say, he agreed that it was a good plan. At the end he promised the witch that he would do his part, no matter what.
Meanwhile, Matilda and Bolgobin were visiting the Laborians to obtain volunteers. They had decided that four would be enough to convince their audience. The first four they asked all agreed to help. They were eager to discredit the Wizard.
By the end of that evening they had almost completed the video. There was an introduction by Matilda, speeches by the volunteers and pictures of the Zithium waste pouring into the sea. It was very damaging to the Wizard. They would finish it tomorrow and transmit it the following evening when most Laborians were home. Peri would use her magic to interrupt the Wizard’s programs and broadcast their own video. Hopefully, they would be able to stop the invasion going ahead.
Clementine sent another message to Hermalkin informing him of the timetable. He said that he would make sure that the Wizard was busy at the time they interrupted transmission at exactly ten o’clock.
Chapter 30
Hermalkin’s Luck
While Matilda and her crew were busy the next day putting the finishing touches to their video, the Wizard was making sure that everything was in place for the invasion in the early hours of the following morning. He had locked himself in his workshop and was developing the spells he would need to achieve victory. It all depended on having Maximilian’s fairy use up the power in her wand. He knew that his own power now was greater than the witch’s and, once the fairy was neutralised, she would be easily destroyed.
As it turned out, Hermalkin didn’t have to worry about talking the Wizard into being away while the outside broadcast was taking place. He had joined the Wizard in his workshop and was watching the cauldron boil and bubble when the Wizard said, “I shall be away tonight and I shan’t be back until the battle is over, my friend. I have to go out and visit my Aquilas. They will be transporting me to Bivia to claim victory. You will be in charge here while I am absent. We will celebrate together on my return.”
“I look forward to it, Sire,” replied Hermalkin, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Now, come over here and help me finish this spell,” said the Wizard.
Chapter 31
The Broadcast
The hour finally arrived for the broadcast to be sent to Laboria. Matilda placed the video cassette into the player in Clementine’s lounge room. As the introduction came onto the screen, Peri waved her wand and the pictures flew across the sea to the transmitter tower on Laboria’s volcano.
Matilda addressed the camera. “Hello to the citizens of Laboria from the people of Bivia. As you are aware, your Wizard has chosen to declare war on this empire. However, we know that he has been less than honest with you about his reasons for this decision. We are about to show you how you have been tricked by your leader to support his violent acts. This is not propaganda to trick you again. It is the truth you are entitled to know.”
The camera moved to show Maefin. “Hello to all of my family and friends on Laboria. Yes, it is me, Maefin Wolban, alive and well. The first thing I need you to know is that I am not being forced to tell you what you are about to hear. It is about time you all learnt the truth about our leader, the Wizard. As you know, I was one of the victims of the ‘Pig Spell’ and I was vaporised by Hermalkin, the cobra. What you don’t know is that the spells that caused these events were not cast by the Witch of Bivia, but by our own Wizard himself. How did I discover this? When I was vaporised, I didn’t disappear; I was simply transported to Bivia where I, along with hundreds of my countrymen, was welcomed with open arms. The purpose of this evil act by our leader, offering up his own people, was to convince us that the Witch of Bivia, Clementine, hated us and needed to be destroyed. Nothing could be further from the truth. Clementine is a gentle and caring leader. What reason did the Wizard have for this deception? Bivia has huge reserves of Zithium and Laboria is running out of its supplies. The Wizard had to have your support before he could invade Bivia to satisfy his own greed. Having lived on this island for almost a year, I can tell you that there are many other ways for us to create energy. But that is another story that I will leave to somebody else. Finally, to my family and friends, I miss you terribly, and I hope to see you soon when the Wizard is exposed and defeated. He does not deserve your support. Thank you.”
The other three Laborians followed with similar stories, followed by photographs of all of the other survivors. Then Matilda appeared again. She showed pictures of the Zithium leaking out into the sea and spoke about how it was destroying the environment, cutting short the lives of Strangees, who had worked in the mines, and how it would poison them all in the future. She then showed the other ways of producing energy that were being used on Bivia. Finally, she said:
“You, the citizens of Laboria, have been lied to by your leader. His aims are not for the benefit of his people but simply to increase his own wealth and power. You and your children will pay the price in the years to come. Rise as one and be rid of him before it is too late.”
Chapter 32
Hermalkin Pays The Price
The terrible mistake that Hermalkin made was deciding to sound the signal on all television sets to alert the people to an important message. He felt he had to make sure that as many Laborians as possible heard the broadcast.
Unfortunately, the Wizard heard the alarm as well. He was sitting in one of the hangars at the airport, planning his victory flight with a giant eagle, Aquila Triton, when he heard the warning go off on the huge television screen on the wall above them. He quickly tuned in and couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing. His face went white as he slumped back in his chair. Then his anger spilt over when he realised that he had been betrayed once again.
“Take me back to the cave immediately!” he shouted at the eagle as he ran to one of the baskets. Triton knew that the Wizard was dangerous when he was this angry so he strutted outside, picked up the ropes and lifted into the sky. Within minutes he had dropped his passenger on the forecourt of the cave.
Racing through the maze the Wizard arrived at the golden door. When it opened he saw Hermalkin watching a television screen. He didn’t bother to question the cobra as he knew that he was the only one that could have set off the alarm. He simply screamed “Traitor!”, pulled a wand from beneath his robe, and turned the snake into stone.
Chapter 33
Revolution
At the end of Matilda’s broadcast, the citizens of Laboria were spilling out into the streets, stunned by what they had heard. Their shock soon turned to anger and they streamed towards the cave, determined to seek the truth and, if needed, overthrow the Wizard.
When they arrived at the forecourt, in their thousands, they were faced with armed Reptors, trying to protect the entrance. They stormed forward and disarmed the guards, knocking them to the ground. Then they began banging on the glass at the front of the cave but it was useless as the Wizard had locked the dissolving door. The crowd began to shout for him to come out and face them. In their eyes his unwillingness to do so confirmed his guilt.
Inside his workshop the Wizard ignored a message from a Reptor guard reporting the demonstration outside. He was thinking of what he could do now to make sure that his plans were not ruined. He had to proceed with the Reptor attack no matter what. When he had achieved victory, he would deal with the thankless citizens and make them pay for their disobedience. The madness, that had always been in him, was coming to the surface. He was supreme and he would win.
The hours had ticked by and it was almost time for the Reptor fleet to be launched. He reached for a small communicator and ordered Triton to return to the cave and pick him up from the roof. Gathering his wands, he rushed out through his private exit and entered the lift.
Chapter 34
The Long Wait
In Bivia, there was celebration after
the broadcast. It had gone better than they had hoped. Now they had to sit back and wait to see how the people of Laboria reacted to the facts. It was a nail-biting time.
“I don’t think this will change the Wizard’s mind about attacking us,” commented Clementine. “He will go ahead no matter what the people say.”
“I agree,” said Bolgobin. “We can only hope that we are able to defeat the invaders.”
“No small task,” replied Clementine,” when we don’t have an army of our own. Pots, pans and broomsticks aren’t much good against spears and arrows.”
“Aren’t you forgetting about me?” interrupted Peri.
“Oh, no, my dear,” said Clementine. “We are depending on you. But remember that the power of your wand is limited and we must preserve it at all costs for the final encounter with the Wizard. You will need every ounce of your magic.”
Nobody on Bivia slept that night as they sat and waited for the storm to break.
Chapter 35
The Armada
The longboats, filled with their foot-soldiers and archers, slipped away from their moorings. The Wizard, who had flown there to escape the angry crowds, waved to them and shouted, “Victory!”, as they motored out of the cave. A thousand voices replied, “Victory”, and the word echoed around the walls.
The boats used their engines until they reached the spell shield. As soon as they had passed through the glassy screen the Reptors took up oars and rowed the rest of the way to ensure a silent approach. When they were several kilometres off the coastline of Bivia, a thick fog dropped over the water to hide them from the island. The Wizard had prepared a weather spell to give the fleet cover.
Chapter 36
A Brief Battle For Bivia
When Clementine saw the thick fog moving in from the sea, she knew that the time had arrived. Going to her garden, she sounded the alarm. A continuous siren sounded across the island. Within minutes the residents began to appear along the shoreline. They carried sticks, pitchforks, garden rakes and anything else they could lay their hands on to help defend their homeland. They were a rag-tag army.