The Loblolly Boy and the Sorcerer Read Online Free
Author: James Norcliffe
was appalling, doubly appalling because the possibility hadnât even occurred to him. What if the one whoâd taken his place actually liked Janice, actually got on well with her? What was the old line? Birds of a feather stick together. What if they were birds of a feather? Would the interloper want to Exchange in that case? Why on earth would he?
Exchanging would probably be the last thing heâd ever want to do.
The sea all at once looked choppier, more treacherous.
âYes,â murmured the Captain, âI think the sideways approach would be much the better option.â
8
At that moment, moving sideways was the last thing the loblolly boy wanted to do. Nor could he bear any more to hear what further crushing ideas the Captain might want to share. He didnât even want to be near the Captain. Abruptly, he stood up and, stretching out his arms, began to run in a skipping fashion directly into the breeze blowing off the sea. The wind caught his wings and he was instantly lifted into the air and then, riding the draught, he soared higher and higher until he was hundreds of metres above the little bay. Far, far below he could see the Captain, a tiny figure still sitting in the deckchair at the very edge of the waves. To his right was the Captainâs little cabin built into a cave in the cliff at the side of the bay.
From this height the horizon was much farther away. He could now see a container ship heading away for some distant port. From ground level it had been quite invisible.
How many other huge tanker-sized things are just beyond our sight he thought as he climbed even higher in a soaring arc. How many new ideas are just waiting beyond our understanding, each clutching a great club to bang us on the head with their sudden obviousness?
It had seemed such a simple transaction. He would Exchange with the loblolly boy, restoring him to the Michael he had been; and then he would Exchange again and become the Ben whose life had been stolen. Simple. Simple? It wasnât simple at all. It had seemed so but theCaptain had thrown a great rusty spanner into the works.
Everything was difficult, fraught. All at once, the Captainâs less than friendly reception was understandable. It wasnât because the Captain was grumpy; no, it was because the Captain was worried. Worried that everything might go bad. Very bad.
The loblolly boy stretched his wings and picking up the breeze again, climbed even higher. Now he could see the surrounding bays, the harbour and the city beyond. But what did see really mean? How foolish to think that by flying higher he could see farther. He couldnât even see the obvious â that crabs ran sideways. That the boy who stole his life might actually prefer it to whatever life heâd left behind.
What could he do?
Perhaps the Captain was just being negative.
Everything he said was could, might, maybe.
He wouldnât know what really was until he found his father, Janice and the interloper.
So where were they?
The loblolly boy described a perfect barrel roll and winged downwards once more. He needed to probe the Captain further. All he had so far was a mysterious and confusing warning about moving sideways.
The Captain must have more to reveal.
Surely.
There must have been a very good reason heâd taken down his banjo and sung that ridiculous song. What was it? Something about Jugglers? Oh, yes, and a Gadget Man whoever he might be.
9
The Captain may have had more to reveal, but he made no attempt to reveal it throughout the rest of the afternoon or the early evening. Not long after the loblolly boy landed again on the beach, Captain Bass climbed out of his deckchair and announced that time was marching on and that he needed to attend to his pots. The loblolly boy guessed that by this he meant his crab and crayfish pots, not the greasy dishes tumbled together in his sink.
He was right. Shortly afterwards, the Captain left the little cabin and
Exchanging would probably be the last thing heâd ever want to do.
The sea all at once looked choppier, more treacherous.
âYes,â murmured the Captain, âI think the sideways approach would be much the better option.â
8
At that moment, moving sideways was the last thing the loblolly boy wanted to do. Nor could he bear any more to hear what further crushing ideas the Captain might want to share. He didnât even want to be near the Captain. Abruptly, he stood up and, stretching out his arms, began to run in a skipping fashion directly into the breeze blowing off the sea. The wind caught his wings and he was instantly lifted into the air and then, riding the draught, he soared higher and higher until he was hundreds of metres above the little bay. Far, far below he could see the Captain, a tiny figure still sitting in the deckchair at the very edge of the waves. To his right was the Captainâs little cabin built into a cave in the cliff at the side of the bay.
From this height the horizon was much farther away. He could now see a container ship heading away for some distant port. From ground level it had been quite invisible.
How many other huge tanker-sized things are just beyond our sight he thought as he climbed even higher in a soaring arc. How many new ideas are just waiting beyond our understanding, each clutching a great club to bang us on the head with their sudden obviousness?
It had seemed such a simple transaction. He would Exchange with the loblolly boy, restoring him to the Michael he had been; and then he would Exchange again and become the Ben whose life had been stolen. Simple. Simple? It wasnât simple at all. It had seemed so but theCaptain had thrown a great rusty spanner into the works.
Everything was difficult, fraught. All at once, the Captainâs less than friendly reception was understandable. It wasnât because the Captain was grumpy; no, it was because the Captain was worried. Worried that everything might go bad. Very bad.
The loblolly boy stretched his wings and picking up the breeze again, climbed even higher. Now he could see the surrounding bays, the harbour and the city beyond. But what did see really mean? How foolish to think that by flying higher he could see farther. He couldnât even see the obvious â that crabs ran sideways. That the boy who stole his life might actually prefer it to whatever life heâd left behind.
What could he do?
Perhaps the Captain was just being negative.
Everything he said was could, might, maybe.
He wouldnât know what really was until he found his father, Janice and the interloper.
So where were they?
The loblolly boy described a perfect barrel roll and winged downwards once more. He needed to probe the Captain further. All he had so far was a mysterious and confusing warning about moving sideways.
The Captain must have more to reveal.
Surely.
There must have been a very good reason heâd taken down his banjo and sung that ridiculous song. What was it? Something about Jugglers? Oh, yes, and a Gadget Man whoever he might be.
9
The Captain may have had more to reveal, but he made no attempt to reveal it throughout the rest of the afternoon or the early evening. Not long after the loblolly boy landed again on the beach, Captain Bass climbed out of his deckchair and announced that time was marching on and that he needed to attend to his pots. The loblolly boy guessed that by this he meant his crab and crayfish pots, not the greasy dishes tumbled together in his sink.
He was right. Shortly afterwards, the Captain left the little cabin and
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