On the way home from the Bear Pit Club my brother Merlin seemed pensive. I was about to ask him if there was a problem when he made a statement.
"I've got something on my mind and I think it warrants a Brothermeet."
"What?"
"I'd prefer to talk about it when we're all together."
I nodded and we continued on our way.
A "Brothermeet" is a term we coined when we three Butterglove brothers were children. We had recognised our individual strengths (see the January 2020 story "The Time Capsule" for details) and concluded that there would be occasions that our combined viewpoints were required on a given quandary.
As an avid reader Merlin had a breadth of knowledge that has grown over the years. Newton had an analytical mind that led to him being tutored by the Treefellows, becoming a Professor and headhunted by the Sylvanian Research Group. I was supposed to be the imaginative, creative one. As a child I made up stories (which arguably accounts in part for Brendan's imagination) and wanted to make music. Merlin said I was good at lateral thinking and that complemented his and Newton's contributions in a Brothermeet.
I wondered what was on Merlin's mind that prompted the gathering, something we hadn't done in a while.
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"It's about the Woodzeez," said Merlin. "I've spent quite some time chatting with Owen Quiller as we've researched other Woodzeez inhabitants in Sylvania. He's said things that I'd like to clarify in my mind."
"You do know that I've not personally met any Chunglewood inhabitants?" said Newton. "Other than Ricardo Porcini - and he didn't discuss his origins."
"Well, that's what I want to discuss," said Merlin. "Owen's told me things that he'd previously kept secret. That the Woodzeez didn't originate in Sylvania."
I remembered that Mulder Honey-Fox had suspected as much.
"However," said Merlin, "That wasn't what he originally claimed. At first, he said that his people had followed an unusual route from a distant Sylvanian island and that the route had inexplicably disappeared. I remembered what you said, Jack, about the portals, speed tunnels and all that weird spatial stuff, so a disappearing route didn't seem that crazy."
I noticed how Newton raised a brow whilst looking at me. We hadn't gone into details about my adventures but I suspected he'd learned enough from his contacts. Rather than pursue that, I addressed Merlin.
"What did you think he was hiding?"
"I didn't think we'd be ignorant of a large Sylvanian island. I pretended I was confused and explained how owls were amongst the first critters in Sylvania and - as they could fly - they had mapped aĺl of the land masses within the Ring of Sylvania. I said that I couldn't understand how they could have missed the Woodzeez island."
"And?"
"He looked embarrassed and modified his story, offering an explanation for his deception."
Owen had said that his story was accurate but for one aspect. The route they followed originated on another world. When he and his companions emerged within the clearing they didn't know they had passed into Sylvania. Even after the route vanished and they found themselves stranded they believed they were still in another part of the Woodzeez world. They had found a signposted path to leave the clearing but found it impassable. They resigned themselves to staying put and living their lives there, naming the place Chunglewood.
When a handful of owls and other Sylvanians appeared at their village, they learned the truth - that they had wandered into another world. However, their elected leader - Roy Kingsberry - advised they should not reveal their off-world origins, not knowing how strangers would be treated.
Newton awaited the end of the explanation before commenting.
"The fact is, the Owl Collective knew that they didn't start out as Sylvanians. They won't have contradicted the Chunglewood explanation, figuring they had their own reasons for obscuring their past. You see, they and the Sylvanian Research Group both knew that Woodzeez critters had reached Sylvania long ago. This was before Mellowdene was founded so we're talking many years. They knew that they had passed through from another world."
Merlin stared at my twin. "Why all the secrecy?"
Newton regarded us, appearing to come to a decision.
"Those Woodzeez came via a breach beneath the Central Mountains. A breach was comparatively stable despite being in an unstable area. Once they emerged, they were surreptitiously guided to the surface by guardians who protected that area. We found out that the Woodzeez were on a pilgrimage from somewhere they called Honeysuckle Hollow. Then, one day the breach was compromised and it closed. By that time, many hundreds of Woodzeez had joined Sylvanian society. The few Sylvanians in the know accepted that the newcomers had originated in another world but chose to keep it secret. The alternative was to reveal the truth of what was below the mountains..." - he looked at me, pointedly - "...such as speed-tunnels."
"Wait," said Merlin, "Are you saying that all the Woodzeez people that Owen and I have discovered on our research..."
"...are descendants of those pilgrims? Yes, in all probability. It follows that if the Chunglewood villagers are looking for a way back to the Woodzeez world, I doubt they'll have any success."
"Well, that's up to you. I suspect they'll discover the truth after a while. That their world is lost to them. At least for now."
"Is that why you called the Brothermeet, Merle?" I asked. "To find out about the other Woodzeez?"
"No, it was about the concept of other worlds. I'd hoped Owen was under a misapprehension, but now you've confirmed it, Newt."
"Are you worried that the Woodzeez are too different from us?" I asked.
"No, of course not. I like Owen. Ricardo is a jolly chap and I've no reason to think the others will be any different. No, I'm worried how the idea of other worlds will be accepted by Mellowdenians. For example, how will it fit with the Snow Queen myth? Does it mess with the spiritual beliefs of the village?"
"Interesting point," said Newton. "Are you thinking it will cause a crisis of faith? It shouldn't be too hard to adapt... let me think."
He rose from his chair and stood silently, eyes focused somewhere in the distance. Merlin and I exchanged glances as Newton's mind was temporarily elsewhere. But not for long.
"Okay," said Newton. "Think of it this way. Matilda Billabong makes pots and other ceramics. A bowl and a vase are both containers but different. Think of this when you consider the Snow Queen's creations. Realms with the same purpose but different in composition. There you go."
He sat back as if everything should be clear.
It wasn't clear for me but Merlin was nodding.
"Are you proposing that the Snow Queen made worlds for Woodzeez, Sylvanians and possibly other types of critters? Each world subtly different? How many could there be?"
I jumped in. "Wait a minute. The Mellowdenian myth says the Snow Queen sacrificed herself to create Sylvania. Are you saying the other worlds came first? That we were the last straw that exhausted her?"
Newton twitched an almost smile. "Come on, Jack. You know I'm a scientist so I take the logical approach. Perhaps the worlds were created sequentially or all were created in a single creation event. It doesn't matter in the scheme of things. If you're bothered about it, Jack, remember that philosophy and spiritualism are more Reverend Kelvin Waters' areas of expertise."
"So if I understand you correctly, you're saying we can simply adjust our beliefs," said Merlin, "and accept that the Woodzeez realm was also created by the Snow Queen, somehow."
"Somehow," confirmed Newton.
"Still," I said, thinking through consequences, "the idea of multiple worlds is a big one. If it leads to the speed-tunnels being exposed..."
"Trust my twin to highlight the real problem," said Newton. "That should've been me."
"Perhaps Roy Kingsberry had the right idea," I mused.
"Go on," prompted Newton.
"That the Chunglewoodians are from some isolated part of Sylvania."
"Chunglewoodians?"
"For want of a better word. One could even say they took a boat trip and got lost."
"Imaginative. It could work. Yet it still leaves the question of unusual routes into Tall Tree Forest."
"People already consider the Forest weird. It wouldn't be hard to convince people that the Woodzeez wandered into the clearing and couldn't find their way out."
"It's not particularly near the coast," said Newton. "I suppose it's feasible they came ashore on the north coast, followed the mountain pass, bypassed Mellowdene..."
"...and went into the Forest," I added.
"Why would they do that?" asked Merlin.
"They're called Woodzeez. Maybe they like woods."
Merlin grimaced. "Are you happy with all this fibbing?"
"Not particularly, but I suspect Roy Kingsberry would be happy if it helps his people fit in."
"Maybe."
"And it's unlikely we'll personally be asked questions. However, it would be an idea to pre-warn Kelvin that his parishioners might be asking questions once the news gets out."
Merlin laughed quietly. "Poor Kelvin."
"Good. That's settled," said Newton. "Anything else?"
"I don't think so. I'll brief Owen. Thank you both."
"Pleasure, Merle," I replied. "So if we're done...?"
"Brothermeet adjourned."
But the discussions were not entirely over...
(To be continued)
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