Little Orphan Anvil: The Complete Trilogy by Joseph Beekman (best contemporary novels .TXT) 📕

figure as that of an old man; his back washunched over slightly. He was using a tall wooden polethat was partially submerged in the water to maneuverthe raft.

Bleeping wildly, the robot hovered close to theraft and settled itself down upon it. Amazed, the boywalked forward and called out to the old man.

“Hello there! We mean no harm! We found thatdroid two days ago—back beyond them rugged hills…”The boy waved his thumb back over his shoulder.

The wooden raft came to a slow halt against theriver’s edge. The old man looked at the boy and dog,and grinned. His face was wrinkled with age and hischin had some ashen-silver stubble.

“We have been without a home for some timenow,” the boy said. “We’ve been living off the wilds ofthe lands. Our old homestead was ripped from theground by a big, fiery storm!”

“It’s quite okay, my friend,” the old man saidwith a grizzly sounding accent. “I, too, mean no harm.The name’s, Will. I know of where you come from. It’swhere I once lived—the Land of Iron and Anvil.”

The boy raised his eyebrows in surprise. “TheLand of Iron and Anvil?”

Will nodded. “I was meaning to get back there…unfortunately my travel was cut short,” he said calmly.“The great storm you speak of—it had halted my stepsand forced me to live out here in the wilds.”

The boy felt some relief upon hearing the manspeak the name of his recent homeland, and could alsorelate to the man’s current “wild” living. “Oh, wow!Well…I was taking my dog fishin’ on the great lake inthe hills above our land, when suddenly the sky eruptedin a giant blast!” he shouted, waving his arms in the air.“We saw the land go into flames and then—”

“Fall to ashes in one fell swoop,” Will interrupted. “I know, I saw it too; but from a different locationon my way there. I was living in the Land of Shadowsfor a time, when I decided it was best to return to myroots.” He took a deep breath, momentarily lost inmemory. “Now I live between the borders of the lands,here and there on this ancient river.”

He looked the robot over, scoping its injured,metal limbs. “This robot-droid, you say—a friend?”

The boy nodded, a glimmer of hope in his eyes.“I guess you could say that—sure.”

“Well I must say, it has been some time—and ohmy, what a miracle indeed! I built this little droid sometime ago!” Will exclaimed. “I thought him to beforever lost; he was with me when I departed the Landof Shadows. But when the terrible storm struck, itsnatched him up and took him far off into the wilds.”

The boy couldn’t believe what he was hearing.“What a miracle it is then! He is in need of repair, andsure does seem to know who you are!”

Will chuckled. “Oh, yes indeed! I think you’requite right!”

The robot merrily-whistled and spun its one goodeye in response. This time the boy let out a good laugh,and the dog let out a cheerful yip.

Will laughed and then grew silent. Staring at therobot, his eyes drifted in thought as he scratched at hischin.

“Let me tell you a bit about this droid, if I may,”Will said. “There’s an old lady that runs an orphanagein the Land of Shadows—which, in case you areunaware, is to the far east of here.”

The boy shook his head and moved closer, evercurious.

“Well, she wasn’t all she had seemed to be after atime that I’d spent living there,” Will continued.“Because of her disbeliefs in science, and her insistenceon a darker form of magic, she felt forced to depart theLand of Iron and Anvil; and, as I had soon found out,began living in the Land of Shadows. So it was no bigsurprise when I introduced this robot into the orphanagethat she felt threatened again. It wasn’t too long beforeshe decided to cast her dark magic against the oldhomeland, destroying anything that was made of ironand metal and could mechanically move.”

The boy nodded somberly, remembering thefirestorm that swept through his homeland and all themechanical robot-droids that disappeared with it.

“Seems this little robot had become an orphan,too!” the boy remarked. “At least until now…I guess,”he said a bit hesitantly.

“Of course you are correct in that guess!” Willshouted happily, and glanced to the robot. “However, Ifeared for the orphans back in the Land of Shadowsmore than ever,” he continued sadly. “Knowing theywere stranded under that wicked lady’s magic had left ahole in my heart. I had planned on helping them withthis droid that I had constructed—but to no avail. Sohere I am…always searching for some sign as to howbest return to that land and restore hope to their poorsouls.”

The boy stood there on the river’s edge, speechless, and stared at the old man and at the robot indisbelief. An icy wind whipped through the scragglytrees causing him to shiver.

Will extended his hand out to him. “Here, mygood lad…don’t be afraid. You and the robot-droidmay be the answer to my prayers. I’ll take you to myhumble abode, and there I can make the repairs neededto the droid. You can get something to eat and a warmplace to rest as well.”

The boy hesitated a moment; but as anotherwindy chill struck him, he decided it best to get aboardthe raft. He grasped the old man’s hand and ambledaboard. The dog followed behind cautiously.

“Thanks,” the boy said shyly. “My name isSonny, and this here is Ranger—my pal since he wasjust a pup.” The dog scooted over to the robot andflopped down beside it.

“Well, my friend, nice to meet you,” Will replied.

Sonny looked about and noticed that the sky wasdarkening. Odd clicking noises started to echo rathereerily through the air.

“We best move out,” Will said cautiously. “Manyof the oil slicks begin their awful hunt at dark and canswim rapidly…if tempted to do so.”

“Oil slicks? Swim?” Sonny asked nervously.“What do you mean? And…what is that awful noise?”

Will pushed away from the embankment with thewooden