The Shasta Caper, Chapter Sixty-Eight, Part One

               Chapter Sixty-Eight, Part One

Robin led his guests through the complicated path that went through Sherwood, helping them over and under the more difficult parts that he and Smarn too easily. 

"How much further?" Jimbo complained.

Samuel looked at him. "You're starting to sound like that little kid in the commercial."

"Yeah. Maybe. But he didn't almost get killed by snow monsters, Nazis and giant snakes either."

"Granted."

Nanny poked Jimbo. "Buckle up, the worst is over."

Samuel looked to his right where Al was shaking his head vigorously.

Samuel said nothing. He knew better. Sometimes it was just better to let the future happen, to unfold in the way the Creator designed it to, than to try and shortcut it. Not that he or anyone else could ever actually stop it, but sometimes humans and he, himself, did great jobs of making it harder.

Finally, Robin climbed to the top of a steep incline and stopped. It was a good thing too, because it was actually getting dark where they were going.

Samuel looked up and saw a great dark shape above them.

"It's where the City sleeps at night." Robin said, pointing to the gigantic shape hovering overhead.

"Gives me the creeps." Nanny said, shivering despite the fact that it was probably no more than 

seventy outside.

"If I had a nuke..." Jimbo growled.

Robin and Smarn both gave him angry glares. "Are you mad!"

Robin almost raised a hand, but stayed it. He could see Jimbo was just grousing. "Look, Jim, Jimmie, or Jimbo, whatever you call yourself.  This is not a joke. Your world above caused great damage to us when you were testing nukes."

Jimbo paled. "I'm sorry, man."

Robin relaxed. Smarn's fists relaxed into hands again.

"You didn't know."

Robin pointed below now and they could see all the islets of the lake lit up like a Christmas Tree.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Samuel asked.

"Probably. If they could see us."

"But how can they not?" Jimbo asked, puzzled by Robin's reply.

"Just because we look low tech, doesn't mean we are. We just don't exploit our world to get it."

Samuel felt his forehead tingling and went with it. His third eye opened up and he could see a screen of faint golden energies forming a gigantic dome over the lake and the islets. Robin turned to look at him and smiled. "You can see it, can't you?"

"Yes. It's beautiful."

Samuel looked down again and for a moment, he could see Methusaleh behind Robin. He couldn't understand what that meant at the time, but later on he would.

"You are a very advanced civilization down here."

"I consider us a very humble civilization down here. And modest to the point of cruelty to ourselves sometimes."

"Which is why you allow those ones to stay here?" Nanny asked.

Smarn answered. "Robin was not always so gentle."

Star Wars Threads of Destiny VFX reel

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Star Wars is the sole copyright of Lucasfilm Ltd. The purpose of this film is to showcase the talents of its participants. It is illegal to sell, purchase or make money from this work. This movie may be copied and freely distributed but not sold.

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Plot Outline
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The Shasta Caper, Chapter Sixty-Seven, Part Two

 

                          Chapter Sixty-Seven, Part Two

Smarn usually won. He didn't look smart, but the giant had a genius intellect. Samuel later found out when Smarn was poking around in the basement of the tree that Smarn had taught the tree to do all the things it did by singing to it.

Smarn sang to the tree in the basement and Samuel watched with fascination as a root sprang into view, then rose into the shape of a chair. When it was finished, it spread out a soft mat of leaves upon its surface for Smarn to sit upon. 

"That's amazing!" Samuel told him.

Smarn nodded. "There's more. Watch."

He began whistling and a series of twigs, or what looked like twigs on the earthen floor began to dance with one another. As they did they began growing taller and taller, until they intertwined and formed a plant that resembled a person. Finished, it half bowed to Smarn and then stood at attention.

"Go to watchpost." Smarn told it.

The Leaf Person climbed the ladder from the basement, seeking its goal.

"Watchpost?" The first hint of danger.

Smarn shrugged. "Nothing for certain."

"I thought you were safe here."

"We are. But forest not. The sky men burn down forests."

Robin dropped from above and squatted. "I overhead your question."

Samuel looked at him.

"Methusaleh and the Ancients have tolerated their acts of cruelty for a long time, in the hope that their leader...whom you seem to know...might change and his peoples. We have actually recruited some of them. You may remember the Island of Whites?"

"Strange name."

"It's what they call themselves." Robin explained. "The Whites. White power. But they no longer claim to rule the world inside or out. Only to be white, so their island name is both a designation and a self deprecation."

Samuel smiled. "It's good to know that they're not all evil."

"No." Smarn agreed. "Not. Just more now."

Smarn looked sad. "Must crush."

Samuel looked at Smarn. "Crush?"

Robin patted Smarn on his right knee. "It's all right,Smarn. They will be provided for."

Smarn brightened.

Robin looked to Samuel. "Smarn still has some doubts about the after life."

"It seems that your partner and mine have some similarities." Samuel mused.

Jimbo, who had been sleeping, woke up stretched, yawned loudly, then interjected. "Someone has to preserve our sanity in the midst of all the crazy mumbo jumbo you guys do!"

Smarn laughed hard. "Like Jimbo!"

Jimbo preened beneath Smarn's laughter. "Ditto back at ya, big fellah!"

Robin stood up. "Dinner time!"

They climbed to the top of the tree where a great round table had been built. No roof overhead, just a kind of soft cloth, which they later found out was more of the tree's genetics woven into a soft cloth like covering.

Robin and his men served the women, who passed out dishes to everyone from where they sat.

"It's a tradition of equality." Robin explained as he sat down after passing out the last of the breads that had been recently baked in the third basement of the tree."

"We believe that all men and women are created equal in the eyes of God. We not only believe that, but we practice it as well. Something I fear you upper earthers are still working on."

Nanny, who had been silent to that point, lit up. "That just about sums it up."

Jimbo looked over at her. "We're not all that bad."

She gave him a dimpled smile and blinked her eyes at him. "No. You're not."

Robin tapped the table with his knife, then cupped his hands over his heart. He closed his eyes and prayed. Samuel and the others closed their eyes.

He and Jimbo listened as Robin spoke. "Dear One Light, the Center of all that we are, we thank and praise you for our abundance, for our lives and for our souls. Amen!"

Samuel opened his eyes a moment as the prayers were going on and he saw a nimbus of golden light dancing around Robin's body as he spoke. Behind Robin Al and M were smiling and waving. Having themselves a great time. Between them stood Methusaleh, beaming at Samuel and his friends.

Well. Well. Well. Thought Samuel.

Robin opened his eyes and then broke into laughter. "And after dinner, I will show you something that will truly amaze you."

Samuel saw Al and M and Methusaleh walk off into the air and vanish. "I already have."

Star Wars versus Star Trek fan film

              Chapter Sixty-Seven, Part One

Sherwood Forest was much thicker and taller than it looked once they rounded the edges of the lake, which as it turns out, is comprised of a surprisingly large amount of floating settlements, or islands as the villagers call them. They go by very different names too, like Kin Island, Brother Island, Franks Island, Island of Lazies, and so forth.

At first Samuel thought Smarn was just joking when he began pointing to various islets, or islands, and giving them the odd names, but once he began making our way around them, and he could see the connecting ramps between them, and little signs, sort of Hobbit like which were carved and enamaled with the simple, or quite outrageous names.

They made their way towards the end into a lesser aspect of the lake, where the islands thinned out, and a rather large hamlet, or stretch of land moved from the east side of the lake, which was called Marion's Hair. A name Robin's eye twinkles gave away its namer. On the far side of the hamlet were indeed some tree houses, but rather crude by modern day standards, but once Samuel had been in a few, he didn't think them so crude anymore.

That night they climbed into the largest of them. It was Robin and Smarn's home, and about  dozen other men and women, who lived on the various levels of the home, which actually merged with the tree and went deep into its roots, where ice and food and extra clothing and weapons were stored.

At dinner that night the men brought out pipes and played dancing jigs, which the women would dance to and we would clap along with. Samuel had never had such a good time before as with these simple people. Not simple, that they were stupid or ignorant, just that they didn't make huge demands of life as most modern men and women might.

Samuel's first awakening to the more complex nature of his new friends, was when he was invited to sleep in Robin's room with Jimbo, while Nanny slept with some of Robin's women friends.

Smarn and Robin both slept in there as well, but there was plenty of room. The beds were carved out of the tree, and formed niches that were just deep and wide enough to along Samuel and  Jimbo to stretch out comfortably.

The niches had a kind of hair growing from the walls, which Robin said were sensors of a sort, in that when anyone sleeping on the grass like mattresses got too cold or warm, then extra layers of blankets would grow over them, or away.

It was like being hugged by the tree all night long.

It was a fantasy in many ways. Dream like. And so far from Vegas and its harder style of living that Samuel almost regretted that one day they would have to return.

The four men sat at a small table in the center of the room and played a game called Tarts, which allowed each player to have four cards in each hand, with them playing one from each hand by separating them with their forefingers. This allowed them to view their cards, and then decide which to toss down first. Whoever tossed the most likely cards first...calling them high and getting the highest...won by accumulating points.

11th Doctor Meets the 10th Doctor Who

Wouldn't it be wonderful to see both of them in a Doctor Who movie? I don't understand why the BBC doesn't make multiple Doctor Who shows, starring the same character and side characters, but all running at the same time and in and out of each other, like Marvel does.

The Shasta Caper, Chapter Sixty-Six

                          Chapter Sixty-Six

The rest of their journey was relatively uneventful. 

Mother Elephant recovered several days later with the tender care of Nanny, who it turned out was a quite capable nurse among her many other talents. She never left the Mother Elephant for a moment, making sure she was warm enough, sometimes even using her own body for extra heat, though the baby elephants usually closed in to add warmth as well.

It was quite a site to Samuel and Jimbo as they watched that last morning. 

Robin and Smarn were off scouting for the best path back to their home, which was also where  they wanted to go.

When Samuel told Robin about Lady Marantha his eyes lit up. "Oh her!" 

Smarn smiled. "Smarn!"

Robin glowered at him. "You lovesick puppy!"

Smarn grinned.

Robin eyed Jimbo, who had this look on his face. "Everyone loves her. They can't help it, she has a charm on her."

"Charm?" Jimbo demanded. "No one is charmed!"

"Little do you know, oh tall one." Robin replied, even though he was as tall as Jimbo.

Jimbo looked flustered a moment. "Tell  me how then!"

"Do you not believe in the goodness of the One Light?"

Jimbo rolled his eyes. "There we go with all the hocus pocus, spiritual mumbo jumbo again."

Robin looked at Samuel. "Is he always like this?"

"Pretty much." Samuel agreed, winking at Jimbo, who gave him a disgusted look, then walked away, pretending to go looking for food.

"He's in love with the Mommy and the daughter, I take it." Robin commented, as he and Samuel watched Nanny hugging the Mother Elephant, who put her trunk around Nanny's neck and hugged her back.

"Aren't you?" Samuel asked, a hint of amusement in his eye.

"I suppose." Robin said, a touch of sadness in his voice and eyes. "There was one like her once I cared for quite deeply. We came here after the War of the Roses saw the defeat of good King Richard."

"I don't remember him thought of as a good king." Samuel remarked.

"You wouldn't. Those times were rife with the hand of the church, which rewrote history to whichever way it served it. Hence, I becoming a legend to your world, when I was quite real."

"You're that...Robin Hood!" Jimbo exclaimed, having come back with a handful of odd fruit.

"Exactly. And the love of my life was none other than..."

"Maid Marion." Jimbo jumped in with, looking excited for the first time in days.

"My heart and soul."

Robin touched his heart, then wiped at his eyes. The memories were burning his heart once more. Though he was not one to look back, but instead forward, these moments of remembrance were bringing up old pains. He would have to speak to Methusaleh about it, to see if there were something he could do to heal that wound, which it obviously still was, in his heart.

He took a deep breath, then looked up. "Ah, your young friend looks ready to take a journey!"

Nanny joined them. She took Robin's hand and squeezed it. "I wanted to thank you again for rescuing  us."

"Oh, it didn't look to me so much like we were rescuing you as assisting you." Robin said with absolute humility. He gave her a half bow and kissed her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. "Though I must admit that I would not find it hard to imagine risking my life to rescue one so fair as...

"

"Look at that!" Jimbo interrupted, pointing to the sky. "A flying whatzit!"

Robin jerked away from Nanny's hand and looked.

Samuel burst into laughter.

Nanny and Robin both looked at him.

"Jimbo, time to leave this place, I think."

So they had packed up what little supplies they had gathered, using giant leaves as backpacks, that they had sewn together with strips of bark from the nearby trees. For canteens they used hollow nut shells the size of footballs that had fallen from some of the trees. 

Jimbo had come up with the idea when Robin had told him they made their canteens from pieces of wood wrapped with cloth. 

Smarn was silent for the rest of the journey, except for the occasional laughter he would give off when the baby elephants ran between  his legs as he walked, playing tag with each other. The Mother Elephant followed Nanny like a pet dog, always close to her, its eyes on her constantly.

Robin noticed. "I think even our elephant friend is in love with...what's her name again?"

"Nanny." Jimbo said.

"Nanette." Samuel answered.

Jimbo gave Samuel a searching look.

"She told me when you weren't listening. Out for one of your nature hikes."

"Oh. Yeah. I think she is too. Who wouldn't be? She's smart, pretty as a rose, sharp as a tack..."

"A tack?" Robin asked.

"It's like a nail, but smaller and used to pin paper to boards."

"Why would people waste paper like that?" Robin asked in confusion.

Jimbo winked. "You'd be surprised at some of the things people do upearth these days."

Robin eyed Nanny fiercely as he made his next remark. "I've been thinking a lot about doing just that lately."

"What?" Jimbo asked. 

"Going upearth."

Jimbo caught where Robin was looking and grew fiercesome looking for a moment. Samuel was about to say something, when Jimbo laughed. "You just go on thinking that, feather boy!"

Robin gave Jimbo a scowl, but said nothing in return.

Jimbo had found something that got to Robin and wasn't letting go it. 

"With that fancy hat and bow you'll be an instant hit upearth. Robin Hood. Your Medieval boyfriend available for romance."

Jimbo barked with laughter at his own mean spirited joke.

Smarn looked back and growled, revealing his teeth.

Jimbo stopped laughing.

Samuel laughed then. "Oh for the peace of my balcony back in Vegas again."

Robin turned to Samuel. "Tell me about this mythical place called...Vegas."

Jimbo responded instead. "You'd love it there. Thieves run the place and all the women in the shows there are half naked or more."

Robin gave Jimbo a horrorfied look. "That is indeed most foul! What maiden of honor would ever reveal herself in such ways?"

Jimbo was suddenly dumbfounded and speechless. He couldn't think of anything to reply that made sense.

Samuel saved him. "Look, I can see the lake again."

They all stopped on the rise they had just reached the top of and looked down at the people working in the fields. The hint of smoke came from the thick forests beyond the waters.

"You'll like it here in Sherwood Forest." Robin pointed out with pride.

"Sherwood Forest?" Nanny asked with surprise.

"Oh yes. When I first arrived here I immediately saw that it was the spitting image of the resplendent forests of Old England we had resided within."

Smarn shook his head, but Robin ignored him. 

"We even have tree houses."

Smarn shook his head.

Robin gave him a scowl. "Well, some of us do."

Smarn didn't move.