The Withering Timestem - a new adventure for reading to children
Having read to my own children over many years and at all ages, I began to realise there was a shortage of good new stories to read to the over fives - particularly boys. We always tried to keep one stage ahead of their own reading, and the older they became, the more difficult it was to find something that was both captivating, exciting and challenging at the same time. In the end I decided to write my own book with the intention of reading it to my grandchildren.
If you want to know more about this character then follow me on Twitter and I will let you know when I have uploaded some more extracts.
RS
If you want to know more about this character then follow me on Twitter and I will let you know when I have uploaded some more extracts.
RS
Chapter 1 The City in the Sand
Download the PDF here. I hope you enjoy reading it to the children you care about. If you would like to see more then please follow me on Twitter and if there is enough interest then I will release the next Chapter.
"The climate control towers and the residential cell blocks rose unevenly around him, like the workings of some vast termite army, each with its own identical single window winking across the canyons of concrete. As he watched, a familiar hum started above his head, and the photo-electric blinds began their early morning journey across the face of the vast city dome, arching over everything like a giant greenhouse."
"The climate control towers and the residential cell blocks rose unevenly around him, like the workings of some vast termite army, each with its own identical single window winking across the canyons of concrete. As he watched, a familiar hum started above his head, and the photo-electric blinds began their early morning journey across the face of the vast city dome, arching over everything like a giant greenhouse."
Chapter 2 - The Prophet of Doom
The PDF for Chapter 2 can be downloaded here. I hope you are beginning to become intrigued by the 'Gardener Angels'.
As the bird stood amongst the moving pictures, it was clear he had been searching the history sites. Centuries old images of the earth played around him; the great rainforests of the tropics, the huge polar ice caps. Against this strange backdrop, the bird spoke in serious and sombre tone, as if roused to anger by what he saw.
“This was your inheritance. A world teeming with life and diversity, full of complex organisms which had been evolving for millennia. You were the dominant species. It was your responsibility.”
As the bird stood amongst the moving pictures, it was clear he had been searching the history sites. Centuries old images of the earth played around him; the great rainforests of the tropics, the huge polar ice caps. Against this strange backdrop, the bird spoke in serious and sombre tone, as if roused to anger by what he saw.
“This was your inheritance. A world teeming with life and diversity, full of complex organisms which had been evolving for millennia. You were the dominant species. It was your responsibility.”
Chapter 3 - The Gardener Angels
The PDF file for Chapter 3 can be downloaded here. Martin has been transmigrated to Ornithean Earth, the home of Siskin, one of the Gardener Angels. Martin learns more about the failure of mankind's stewardships of the Earth.
‘Some species fail – they fall foul of the influences of Entropy.’ Siskin’s voice became hushed. ‘The forces of Entropy are those of disorder and chaos. They exist in every sphere of the Bioverse – constantly trying to undo what we have done – to break down and destroy diversity – they are the enemy Martin. The enemy is already at work in your world – your unsustainable technology, your greed for natural resources, your destruction of your habitat – this is the work of the enemy in your timestem.’
Together they discover that the events befalling Martin were no accident, and that the enemy is not far behind!
Slowly, the blackness of the screen receded, resolving into a gigantic blank eye socket. As the paralysing picture continued to pull out, a grotesque face began to emerge. The missing eye was surrounded by decaying flesh, lacerated by deep and unhealed cuts and punctures. A large hooked nose, hanging by a thread of decaying flesh to the white skull beneath. A hideous leering mouth with the upper lip largely missing.
‘Some species fail – they fall foul of the influences of Entropy.’ Siskin’s voice became hushed. ‘The forces of Entropy are those of disorder and chaos. They exist in every sphere of the Bioverse – constantly trying to undo what we have done – to break down and destroy diversity – they are the enemy Martin. The enemy is already at work in your world – your unsustainable technology, your greed for natural resources, your destruction of your habitat – this is the work of the enemy in your timestem.’
Together they discover that the events befalling Martin were no accident, and that the enemy is not far behind!
Slowly, the blackness of the screen receded, resolving into a gigantic blank eye socket. As the paralysing picture continued to pull out, a grotesque face began to emerge. The missing eye was surrounded by decaying flesh, lacerated by deep and unhealed cuts and punctures. A large hooked nose, hanging by a thread of decaying flesh to the white skull beneath. A hideous leering mouth with the upper lip largely missing.
Chapter 4 - The Twelve Flocks
The PDF file for Chapter 4 can be downloaded here. Martin learns more from Siskin and his friends about life on Ornithean Earth - and experiences his first flying lesson!
"He was looking out over a vast cliff face, bathed in sunlight. Above the cliff rose another and another, reaching up, tier upon tier, into an impossibly blue azure sky. And below, ledge upon ledge, the mountain plunged down into the verdant green of a steaming forest, hundreds of feet below, where the first mists of the evening were slowly collecting in swirling wisps. But it was not the scenery which made Martin gasp – the whole mountainside was teaming with life! Clouds of swirling winged shapes filled the air around then, and on every ledge and promontory, indistinct shapes were jostling for space."
Martin meets representatives of many of the Twelve Flocks of the Ornithes and hears for the first time of their more primitive forest dwelling cousins - the Harpees.
“The Harpees are the forest dwellers, Martin,” she answered. “You could say that they are our distant cousins. We share the same evolutionary path up to a point. Then the Harpees took to the forest floor, and lost the ability to fly altogether, but some scholars maintain that they are actually a sort of lost thirteenth flock none the less. They have a different – ah – approach to life.”
“They’re animals!” Dunlin was emphatic. “They cut down the forest and dig huge holes in the earth to fuel their technology. They are always throwing things against the outer magnetic fences, or trying to dig underneath.”
"He was looking out over a vast cliff face, bathed in sunlight. Above the cliff rose another and another, reaching up, tier upon tier, into an impossibly blue azure sky. And below, ledge upon ledge, the mountain plunged down into the verdant green of a steaming forest, hundreds of feet below, where the first mists of the evening were slowly collecting in swirling wisps. But it was not the scenery which made Martin gasp – the whole mountainside was teaming with life! Clouds of swirling winged shapes filled the air around then, and on every ledge and promontory, indistinct shapes were jostling for space."
Martin meets representatives of many of the Twelve Flocks of the Ornithes and hears for the first time of their more primitive forest dwelling cousins - the Harpees.
“The Harpees are the forest dwellers, Martin,” she answered. “You could say that they are our distant cousins. We share the same evolutionary path up to a point. Then the Harpees took to the forest floor, and lost the ability to fly altogether, but some scholars maintain that they are actually a sort of lost thirteenth flock none the less. They have a different – ah – approach to life.”
“They’re animals!” Dunlin was emphatic. “They cut down the forest and dig huge holes in the earth to fuel their technology. They are always throwing things against the outer magnetic fences, or trying to dig underneath.”
Chapter 5 - By Royal Appointment
The PDF file for Chapter 5 can be downloaded here. The friends are left to face the music, but are let off lightly thanks to the intervention of the mysterious Cardinal Bittern. They attend the emergency meeting of the Corvus Council, but the rescue mission for Hami never gets off the ground.
“Unusual Activity in the Human Timestem. It hardly got a mention. No-one spoke up for you. In fact the general feeling was to let it wither. Two previous Saviour Quests had already failed. Not worth another – that sort of thing. Old Councillor Ravenback did the damage. Rookson could do nothing.”
Before the friends have time to react, Siskin is summoned to appear before the Queen's Privy Council. Terrified, they await their fate, but the Privy Council seem more interested in the content of the ancient Yellowhammer Prophesy.
"The yellow shall ride on the wings of the dead and their coming shall be known by signs in the heavens. They shall consume the creations of the Divinities with darkness. Black shall be their army and betrayal shall be their spear. The slaves shall turn on their masters and the Dimension Door shall be opened."
As they are leaving, the Palace Guard corners Siskin. “Someone wants a word with you Blondie!
The PDF file for Chapter 5 can be downloaded here. The friends are left to face the music, but are let off lightly thanks to the intervention of the mysterious Cardinal Bittern. They attend the emergency meeting of the Corvus Council, but the rescue mission for Hami never gets off the ground.
“Unusual Activity in the Human Timestem. It hardly got a mention. No-one spoke up for you. In fact the general feeling was to let it wither. Two previous Saviour Quests had already failed. Not worth another – that sort of thing. Old Councillor Ravenback did the damage. Rookson could do nothing.”
Before the friends have time to react, Siskin is summoned to appear before the Queen's Privy Council. Terrified, they await their fate, but the Privy Council seem more interested in the content of the ancient Yellowhammer Prophesy.
"The yellow shall ride on the wings of the dead and their coming shall be known by signs in the heavens. They shall consume the creations of the Divinities with darkness. Black shall be their army and betrayal shall be their spear. The slaves shall turn on their masters and the Dimension Door shall be opened."
As they are leaving, the Palace Guard corners Siskin. “Someone wants a word with you Blondie!
Chapter 6 - The Saviour Quest
The PDF file for Chapter 6 can be downloaded here. Siskin has a strange personal interview with Cardinal Bittern, who seems to want him to befriend the daughter of the Queen!
“Her Royal Highness the Princess Phalarope can be a little high spirited at times,” continued the Cardinal, as if speaking to the bookshelf. “She would do well to remember her duty, and that her mother has many problems of her own to deal with, without making her life any more difficult.”
Curious to find out what the Princess has in mind, the friends agree to meet her. They gather early the next morning on a high promontory overlooking the colony. She proposes a daring, but totally illegal, plan to return to Martin's timeline and to rescue his friend Hami from the clutches of the dreadful Cadaverons - a Saviour Quest!
“Our ancestors didn’t need laboratories to concentrate the forces of spacetime,” continued Fala. “They settled where the force was strong. They congregated around the natural concentrations of magnetic flux. It is said that the ancient ruins of their colonies are situated on natural magnetic nodes, more powerful than any laboratory migration chamber.”
“We’ve all heard these stories,” cut in Gale, “but how does this help us? None of these ancient colonies have ever been found. It’s probably all just a myth anyway.”
Fala smiled mysteriously. “One of the advantages of living in the Palace is that you can overhear all sorts of interesting things in and around the Privy Council – especially if you have an inquiring mind.”
As they set off, Martin experiences the full sensation of flying for the first time. The forest below is populated by strange prehistoric creatures. A tall column of smoke becomes visible rising from the trees. The friends decide to investigate!
The PDF file for Chapter 6 can be downloaded here. Siskin has a strange personal interview with Cardinal Bittern, who seems to want him to befriend the daughter of the Queen!
“Her Royal Highness the Princess Phalarope can be a little high spirited at times,” continued the Cardinal, as if speaking to the bookshelf. “She would do well to remember her duty, and that her mother has many problems of her own to deal with, without making her life any more difficult.”
Curious to find out what the Princess has in mind, the friends agree to meet her. They gather early the next morning on a high promontory overlooking the colony. She proposes a daring, but totally illegal, plan to return to Martin's timeline and to rescue his friend Hami from the clutches of the dreadful Cadaverons - a Saviour Quest!
“Our ancestors didn’t need laboratories to concentrate the forces of spacetime,” continued Fala. “They settled where the force was strong. They congregated around the natural concentrations of magnetic flux. It is said that the ancient ruins of their colonies are situated on natural magnetic nodes, more powerful than any laboratory migration chamber.”
“We’ve all heard these stories,” cut in Gale, “but how does this help us? None of these ancient colonies have ever been found. It’s probably all just a myth anyway.”
Fala smiled mysteriously. “One of the advantages of living in the Palace is that you can overhear all sorts of interesting things in and around the Privy Council – especially if you have an inquiring mind.”
As they set off, Martin experiences the full sensation of flying for the first time. The forest below is populated by strange prehistoric creatures. A tall column of smoke becomes visible rising from the trees. The friends decide to investigate!