Jack Gregson & the Forgotten Portal (9 page)

“Can’t sleep?” Anthrow said as he walked up
behind Jack.

“Nope,” replied Jack.

“Big day. A lot to take in, considering how
little you knew when you woke up this morning.”

“Yeah,” Jack said and paused. “Anthrow, what
debt do you owe my Grandmother? It must be pretty big for you to
agree to help us.”

Anthrow took this as an invitation to join
Jack, and sat down beside him, legs crossed, facing the trees.

“I’ve known the Gregson family a long time,”
he said thoughtfully. “Way back before Theorden and the Horde. Back
then your family was new to the Grotto and the Universe.”

“It’s rare you know? To find a planet that
no one has heard of before. Millions and millions of portals and
most of them have been mapped or charted. Then all of a sudden, one
day a man interrupts me eating my lunch, saying he’s from Earth and
wants directions. I offered my services as a guide and discovered
he wasn’t even sure where he wanted to go! He just wanted to take a
look around and see ‘what’s what.’ A curious bunch you humans
are.”

“How old are you Anthrow?” Jack asked,
suddenly realising it was a rude question hastily added, “I mean,
my ancestors. They were travelling the world for hundreds of
years!”

“I guess I am old, by your standards.”
Anthrow said. “But to my kind…well I’ve still got plenty of time
left.”

“You’re not human?” Jack asked alarmed.

Anthrow smiled, “believe it or not, most
people aren’t. At least they’re not on this side of Earth’s portal.
I’m Bathen.”

“You look human.”

“To you I do,” he replied without
elaborating. “There are certain similarities between a lot of
people across the Universe. I could come up with over fifty
different planets that you could visit and pass as a native…with a
few cosmetic changes here and there. On the other hand I could come
up with a thousand places where your pink skin and tiny body would
make you a perfect lunchtime snack to the local inhabitants.”

Jack shivered at the thought of being cooked
for a meal.

Steering the conversation back to the family
he asked, “So, did you ever meet Theorden?”

“I met Richard, a long time before people
started calling him Theorden.”

“What was he like?”

“Controlling, driven, rude. I could continue
with nasty attributes all night, but I’d find it hard to think a
nice one. He did pay me extra once for guiding him somewhere, but
that was because I didn’t have any change.”

“You helped him?”

“These were early days, before he started
murdering people and ruling planets. Sure he was arrogant,
demanding, but so were many of my other clients. I certainly didn’t
know he’d turn into the maniac he is now! It was years later I
learned that Theorden and Richard were one and the same.”

“What about Maddox? Did you ever hear of
Maddox Gregson?” Jack asked nervously.

“Your father?” Anthrow asked softly.

“How do you know that?” Jack asked
surprised. He doubted even David and Rosie knew his fathers name.
He’d only heard him called it once before and that was only when
he’d spied on his grandmother in conversation.

“I didn’t, not for sure. You just confirmed
it. And now I believe we’re coming back to your original question,
although I’m not sure it’s somewhere you want to go.”

“What do you mean? Why wouldn’t I want to
know about my own father? What has your debt to my Grandmother got
to do with him?”

Anthrow didn’t speak for a time. Just as
Jack got impatient and began to ask the question again he said “you
see that animal over there? It’s called a Gratin.”

“We named it a Punkey.” Jack said, not
knowing what this had to do with their conversation.

“That is…odd. Anyway when a Gratin is born,
its parents abandon it and leave it in the Grotto to fend for
itself. It has to learn to eat and survive without any help. If it
manages to survive, and doesn’t fall prey to the larger animals, it
grows into an adult. It then has a child of its own, which it also
abandons.”

“Are you saying my parents were like a
Gratin and they abandoned me on purpose?” said Jack.

“No, quite the opposite. When I met your
father he was…desperate. Somehow he had tracked me down and
demanded I lead him to Theorden. I refused naturally and he went in
a rage, telling me that his wife and child would die unless they
had help from someone powerful in magic like Theorden. I tried to
convince him that it was a fool’s errand, family or not Theorden
would kill him rather than help him. He wouldn’t listen.”

“So what happened then?”

“He left me, still angry. The next I heard
of him was that he’d found Theorden and joined him in his
conquests.”

“My father and Theorden!” Jack said shocked.
“It couldn’t be!”

“I’m sorry, it’s what I heard. When I told
your Grandmother the news, she got angry with me too, something
your family has an annoying habit of doing. She blamed me for not
stopping Maddox in his search for Theodon, something I maintain
wasn’t my concern. He’s the one that sought me out! Anyway I felt
bad for her. We’ve been friends for a long time Marion and I. I
offered her a truce, and gave her the cube to contact me when she
needed my help. Well she’s done that once now, and with you it
makes two. This is the last time, my ‘debt’ will be repaid once we
find the origins of that stone.” Anthrow stood and stretched as if
getting ready to leave.

“Why did you tell me about the Gratin?”

Anthrow looked down at Jack and said,
“Because sometimes I wonder, wouldn’t it be better not to care?
Your father ran towards the darkness to try and save you, someone
he’d never met. You now seek to know more about him, even though
he’s never been in your life. If we were born into this world not
caring for our family, wouldn’t life be easier?”

Jack wiped a tear from his eye as he looked
on at the Gratin. “David and Rosie. Don’t tell them about my
father. I don’t want them to know he’s with Theorden.”

“Curious. David told me you were angry with
your family for the secrets they kept from you., and now here you
are keeping things from your closest friends.”

“This is different, please don’t, tell
them.” Jack said, as he wondered why he didn’t want them to
know.

Anthrow bowed before leaving Jack to his
dark thoughts.

Chapter Nine

Travelling the
Grotto

“Wake up!” Anthrow yelled.

Jack came awake with a start, and saw that
the Grotto’s large orange sun was well into the sky.

“Just a little longer,” David said as he
waved his hand in the air, his head buried in the grass.

“Now!”

“We’re getting up,” said Rosie, yawning as
she sat up.

“I thought he was a guide, not a drill
sergeant,” David said as he looked over at Jack.

Jack smiled and stood up. Last night he had
decided to concentrate his energy on their mission to find our more
about the red stone. There would be time later to find out more
about his father, but right now his home was in jeopardy and his
family needed his help.

“Are you taking us back to the house now?”
Rosie asked as she stood and stretched.

“Um, do you remember the dark mist that was
chasing us? Big cloud, very scary looking, about this tall…” David
said lifting his hand to hip height.

“Yes but what about another portal to Earth?
Anthrow you said some planets have thousands.”

“And very rarely planets just have one.
Unfortunately for you, Earth is one of those. Oh there might be
another one deep in the ocean or high up on a mountain but I
haven’t come across it. How do you think your family has kept all
of this – he said while waving his arms around – a secret.”

“I’ve already decided. I’m going with
Anthrow, to track down the maker of that stone.” Jack said
determined.

“But it’s been hours, our family will be
looking for us everywhere,” Rosie said.

“Well what can we do about it? If Anthrow’s
right and there is only one portal to Earth, do you think the Horde
is going to leave that area? It’ll lay in wait, knowing we have to
go back there if we want to go home.”

Rosie didn’t have a reply for that, but
looked nervously at her brother.

“Looks like we’re stuck here Rosie…for now.”
David stumbled, trying to make her feel better. “Surely Grandma
will come after us. You saw her attack the Horde at the house,
we’ll be ok.”

Rosie nodded, not convinced but willing to
live with that hope.

“Right then, excellent!” said Anthrow. “It’s
always better to travel in groups where we’re going.”

“What? Why? Is it dangerous?” asked
Rosie.

“Where are we going?” Jack asked.

“Bowlandose,” said Anthrow.

“That’s the planet we saw in the Attic!”
said David.

“It’s the most well known of all planets,
with more portals into it than any other in the Universe. In fact,
there’s an entrance to it just two clearing over from here,
although it doesn’t come out where we need to go.”

“Where do we need to go?” asked Jack.

“You three, always with your questions.
Always wanting to rush ahead, even when you’re going to see
everything you’re asking about with your owns eyes soon
enough!”

Anthrow walked into the row of trees at the
edge of the clearing. After a time he returned, with what looked
like purple fruit in his hands.

“The Grotto has lots of food, if you know
where to look for it,” he said, handing one to each of them.
“Forget about eating Gratens, they taste awful!”

“Punkeys,” Jack said to David and Rosie who
were looking confused.

“Right then. You can eat on the way, we need
to walk a while before we get to the portal.”

The four of them left the clearing and made
their way through the Grotto. Jack was surprised to see a light
layer of snow on the ground of the caverns. He wondered why it had
been none in the clearing and also why he didn’t feel at all cold.
It was a different planet, he told himself. Weather must work
differently here.

As they continued through the endless
cavern, Jack was amazed at the amount of pathways they walked past.
So many places to visit and explore!

He paused at one of them, feeling something
was different about it. It looked the same, but felt…wrong.

“Close your eyes,” Anthrow said. He’d notice
Jack had stopped and approached him. “Close them and listen with
your senses.”

Jack wasn’t quite sure what he meant, but
did as he was asked and opened his mind to the pathway in front of
him.

At first there was nothing unusual, leaves
rustling against a light wind, a bird somewhere in the distance
calling. Nothing…

There was something else, a low hum that was
barely audible, emanating from the pathway in front of him.

He concentrated on it and it grew in volume,
it’s tone becoming ominous as it all of a sudden washed over
him.

A smell of sulfer hit is nose causing him to
gag, as a deep sense of wrongness came over him.

“Pull back!” said Anthrow. “Open your eyes,
look at the sky.”

“What is that?” Jack asked as he rubbed his
eyes with his hands.

He sat down as a wave of nausea told hold of
him.

He took deep breaths, trying to slow his
heartbeat. Eventually he began to relax. The smell and the sense of
wrongness went away.

“It was a portal to Theorden’s home planet.
Not Earth of course, but where he lives now. Most people can’t
sense what you just did. I’m sorry, I didn’t think it would affect
you so much,” Anthrow said thoughtfully.

“That was horrible.”

“Well, your Great-Great Uncle is a horrible
man! No offence intended Gregson’s. Just hope you never have to go
there.”

“I can’t feel or hear anything,” said
David.

“Me neither,” said Rosie.

“That’s a good thing,” Jack assured them,
before he stood and walked on, away from the pathway. “I wonder why
he chose to live on that planet.”

“He searches for The Forgotten Portal. The
stories say that is where it’s located,” said Anthrow.

“Never heard of it. What’s so special about
this Forgotten Portal?” asked David.

“Well if what I’ve heard is true and it does
in fact exist, there’s a lot special about it! Supposedly it’s the
first portal…ever. The one that was used to create everything you
see here at the Grotto. Some say it’s a myth, made up to explain
all of this. Theorden certainly believes in it.”

“A portal that creates portals. Why would
Theorden be interested in that?”

“Think about it,” said Jack. “If Theorden
could make his own portals, he could make new ones to anywhere he
wanted. He could gain access to remote areas Earth and start taking
over before anyone even noticed!”

“Exactly. Luckily he’s never found it, if it
even exists.”

They continued on for a while longer.
Anthrow was talking to Rosie, telling her of the different worlds
behind the portals they were walking past. Jack wasn’t sure if he
believed half of the stories he was hearing, however he did hope
they could someday go to Rolbson, a world where the gravity was so
low, every step would push you five feet into the air.

“And that’s the world of the Chaos Pixies,”
said Anthrow. “You definitely don’t want to go there.”

Jack thought about the Forgotten Portal.
Could it be real? After walking through the Grotto, he could almost
believe anything existed.

He hoped Theorden would never find it. How
could someone he was related to be so rotten?

As they continued through the Grotto, Jack
promised himself he would never be like his evil Uncle.

Chapter Ten

Bowlandose

“Here we are!” Anthrow said as he pointed to
a pathway. It looked exactly like all the other ones they’d walked
past and Jack once again wondered how Anthrow knew where each of
them led. He thought they might have different hums, like Theordens
world did, however he wasn’t ready to test that theory just
yet.