Monday, September 11, 2023

S acreds …

 
»What is taking them so long?«

The man they used to call Professor Burnside but wasn't a professor of archaeology at all and whose real name is Claude Sideburns - KussKuss, the llama still thinks that is a ridiculous name but does not want to complain orherwise it might have to admit that if the Professor wasn't a professor at all it - the animal - had never been a student of archaeology, either - was looking impatiently at the entrance of the freshly grown hedge labyrinth on the grounds of his home, Brompton Castle.

»What an unnecessary complicated sentence«, Hildegard, who is Claude Sideburns' housekeeper but also his mother somehow, utters snorrily.

Bromford Bibble was still inside of the dense laurel hedges, as were Kylie and her son Nigel after they went in there to search for their friend.  They hadn't heard of them for quite some time now. The whole world seems to have fallen in silence except for some faint cries of wild geese passings by in the sky.

»Master Claude.«

That is Gilbert, Claude Sideburns' butler but also his father somehow, coming from the big house that Brompton Castle is with some papers waving in his hands.

»Master Claude, I think you should read this.«

»What is it?« KussKuss, the llama asks while Sideburns is taking a quick look at the printed words.

Gilbert, the butler, explains, »I have asked the Artificial Intelligence in Master Claude's computer for help and fed it with some keywords about our current situation and problems. Maybe it can help explain what is going on here.«

»Artificial what?« the llama asks with the biggest of all question marks above its' camelid head but is signed to shut up by the other three while Claude Sideburns starts reading aloud this printed notes,

»Bromford Bibble was a curious boy who loved to explore the world with his loyal companion KussKuss, a walking and talking llama. One day, he received a mysterious letter from his friend Kylie, who invited him to join her and her son Nigel on an adventure to find the sunken island of Greenlion. The letter also contained a green treasure map that showed the way to the island through a circle of stones and the different full-moon cycles of the year. Bromford was thrilled and packed his bags, along with KussKuss, and set off to meet Kylie and Nigel.

Along the way, they met Claude Sideburns, a man who claimed to be a professor of ancient history, but was actually a con artist who wanted to steal the treasure map. He pretended to befriend Bromford and his friends, and offered to guide them to the island. He also brought along his butler and father Gilbert, and his housekeeper and mother Hildegard, who were part of his scheme. Bromford and his friends were unaware of Claude's true intentions, and welcomed him and his family into their group.

As they followed the map, they encountered many wonders and dangers, such as magical creatures, hidden traps, and mysterious puzzles. One night, they came across a faun named Mr. Tumbleweed, who was bored of his life in the City of Gold, a hidden realm where all the fauns lived. He had left his home without telling anyone, and wandered the world in search of something new. He had horns and a tail, which made him look very strange to Bromford and his friends. He sang them a song about his longing for his city:

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance.

Bromford and his friends felt sorry for Mr. Tumbleweed, and invited him to join them on their quest. Mr. Tumbleweed agreed, hoping to find some excitement along the way. He also warned them about Claude Sideburns, who he recognized as a notorious thief and liar. Bromford and his friends were shocked and angry, and confronted Claude about his deception. Claude admitted that he was not a professor, but insisted that he had changed his mind about stealing the map, and that he wanted to help them find the island. He begged them to forgive him and let him stay with them. Bromford and his friends were doubtful, but decided to give him another chance.

They continued their journey, until they reached the final destination: a large lake surrounded by mountains. According to the map, the island of Greenlion was hidden under the water, and could only be revealed by the light of the full moon. They waited until nightfall, when the moon rose in the sky. They saw a beam of moonlight hit a spot in the lake, creating a ripple on the surface. They quickly got into a boat and rowed towards the spot, hoping to see the island emerge from the depths.

But as they approached, they realized that it was not an island at all, but a huge dragon with green scales that blended with the water. The dragon roared and breathed fire at them, causing them to panic and turn back. They realized that they had been tricked by Claude Sideburns, who had swapped the real map with a fake one that led them to the dragon's lair. Claude laughed wickedly and revealed that he had followed them in another boat, along with Gilbert and Hildegard. He said that he had planned this all along, and that he wanted to feed them to the dragon so that he could take their belongings and escape.

Bromford and his friends were terrified and angry, but they did not give up hope. They decided to fight back against Claude and the dragon, using their wits and courage. They also remembered that they had Mr. Tumbleweed with them, who had horns and a tail like the dragon. They asked him if he could talk to the dragon and calm it down. Mr. Tumbleweed said that he would try, but he was not sure if it would work.

He approached the dragon cautiously, speaking in a friendly tone:

Hello friend, welcome home.
«

* * * * * * * * * * *

Bored of the life in the City of Gold
He'd left and let nobody know.
Gone were the towers he had known from a child,
Alone with the dream of a life
He travelled the wide open road,
The blinkered arcade,
In search of another to share in his life.
Nowhere.
Everyone looked so strange to him.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And wept as they led him away to a cage
Beast that can talk, read the sign.
The creatures they pushed and they prodded his frame
And questioned his story again.
But soon they grew bored of their prey
Beast that can talk?
More like a freak or publicity stunt.
Oh
No.

They've got no horns and they've got no tail
They don't even know of our existence.
Am I wrong to believe in a City of Gold
That lies in the deep distance, he cried

And broke down the door of the cage and marched on out.
He grabbed a creature by the scruff of his neck, pointing out:
There, beyond the bounds of you weak imagination
Lie the noble towers of my city, bright and gold.
Let me take you there, show you a living story


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Today is Monday, the 11th of September 2023.


Artificial Intelligence


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