Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Fifth Voyage of Mendez

Despite avoiding further deaths and increasing his profits from the last island, Mendez vows not to land again until safely home.
Mendez is happily sleeping when the Hamster captain comes across a small atoll.
It’s effectively just an undersized, dormant volcano rising out of the water. It has no flora or fauna. The only odd thing is a huge white sphere nestled in the crater at the top.
The Hamsters are very excited and their curiosity overcomes them. They hover above it and a few of them clamber down to examine it more closely.
Mendez wakes up disturbed by the timbre change of the Sky-ships inner workings. He rushes up to the deck just in time to see one of of the Hamsters fall directly onto the white shape. Too late Mendez recognises it as an egg belonging to a monstrous giant bird. The Roc that had inadvertently saved him just a few days ago.
The shell breaks upon impact, killing the chick inside.
Mendez immediately realises the folly of their behaviour and orders everyone back aboard ship and they head off at top speed.
Unfortunately, their speed is inferior to the infuriated parent Roc. It soon catches up with the vessel and though unable to destroy it, forces them to crash land on yet another island.
After tending to the myriad of minor injuries, Mendez, with a dozen of the Hamsters, boldly sets out to explore.
After about a day they come to a small town with it’s back to the sea and a tall and sturdy wall surrounding the perimeter. It has only one entrance, blocked with a single wooden gate, studded and strengthened with iron nails.
After gaining entry, the gaunt looking locals explain that this place is called ‘Ape town’. Every night the city is attacked by monstrous apes and if the guards ever fail in their duty, the apes will scale the walls and kill them all. Worse, food is now in short supply. Despite nut bushes and fruit trees being just outside the town walls, the apes attack anyone who enters the jungle.
Mendez smiles and quickly comes up with a plan.
Calling the entire population, he instructs them to find bags and to fill them with pebbles from the beach.
The town’s people, as well as the Hamsters, look at him bemusedly but do as bidden.
That evening Mendez orders everyone to line the wall and wait for the apes. It isn’t long before they arrive.
When they’re about thirty feet away Mendez gives the order to pelt the apes with pebbles. Most miss, but enough hit to enrage the great apes. They are so enraged that rather than just charge the wall as normal, they cast around for something to throw back. All they can find is coconuts and fruits. Barrage after barrage fly both ways until both the apes and the supply of pebbles are exhausted.
At dawn, the apes retreat.
Not only had the townspeople driven the apes off, but also they had gained enough fruit and nuts to last weeks!
After being rewarded with gold and food, Mendez and the Hamsters head back to the now repaired Sky-ship.

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