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Authors: Pete B Jenkins
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the earth, actually in the very bowels of this great planet itself, and the hardest thing was he was forced to discard everything he had been taught. The earth did not contain a molten core, nor was the temperature what you would expect it to be. In fact, the temperature was very pleasant.
He had to stop himself from laughing out loud. The thought of making it back home and telling the world that not only was the earth hollow but peopled as well had more than a touch of hilarity about it. He had no difficulty believing he would be regarded as either a nut or a charlatan.
As they paddled further on a story he had read as a younger man came back to him. Two Norwegian fisherman, father and son they were, he couldn’t remember the older man’s name but the son’s was Olaf. They had sailed too far north on a fishing trip and discovered themselves amongst the icebergs of the Arctic. Navigating through, they came to a warmer region that took them through the entrance to the interior of the earth. There they met giants, both human and animal before sailing out the south polar entrance. When their ship was wrecked the father drowned while Olaf survived by taking refuge on an iceberg until he was picked up by a whaler. When he got back to Norway and told his story he was locked up in a mental asylum for 28 long years.
Jed had thoroughly enjoyed the account but had confined it to the realms of fantasy. Until now that is. Poor Olaf, to see what he had seen and not be believed was bad enough. But to be incarcerated for it was the ultimate indignity. He had read of others who had claimed they had been here too. And now, he could add himself to that list. The difference for him being he had no way of getting back home to tell his story.
The canoe had just left the open spaces behind and was gliding into the forest; the slap of paddles and an occasional screech from a bird the only sounds to be heard. Less than an hour downstream they pulled into the bank and helped their new friends drag the canoe several hundred yards through the forest.
“We will leave it in that cave,” Erik said, pointing to a narrow opening in a large rock formation amongst the trees. “We must keep our canoes here so the Sky-Gods will not find them.”
With the canoe safely nestled amongst the others they followed Erik and his lovely sister along a winding track through the trees, until they reached a village spread out beneath the feet of the forest giants. The sentries must have spotted them long before judging by the commotion that was just now reaching their ears. Minutes later they were engulfed by dozens of children, and they were all eager to see and touch these strangely dressed foreigners. Apparently, their fear of strangers was non-existent, and Jed wished he could say the same for the men. Many were coming to the door of their dwelling with a weapon in hand to meet this new threat.
“They are friends,” Erik called out. “They come from over the ice. They come to help us fight the Sky-Gods.”
Jed looked at Rex and Jonathon who in turn looked at him. This wasn’t what they had told Erik. They had merely said they were looking for a sanctuary; somewhere they would be safe from Montrose.
“He’s dropped us right in it,” Rex whispered. “We’ll be seen as the saviors who’ll lead them to victory.”
“We’re going to have to play along,” Jed whispered back. “If we don’t it might not go too well for us.”
Erik stopped at a log cabin and waited patiently as an old man stepped off the porch and made his way painstakingly towards them. “Why have you brought our enemy here?” he demanded.
“They have come from over the ice to help us defeat the Sky-Gods,” Erik repeated.
The old man looked them up and down. “Take them to the longhouse,” he ordered, “we shall decide this matter there.”
Five minutes later Jed was taking in the solid beams of the longhouse and thinking how it looked remarkably like the ancient
He had to stop himself from laughing out loud. The thought of making it back home and telling the world that not only was the earth hollow but peopled as well had more than a touch of hilarity about it. He had no difficulty believing he would be regarded as either a nut or a charlatan.
As they paddled further on a story he had read as a younger man came back to him. Two Norwegian fisherman, father and son they were, he couldn’t remember the older man’s name but the son’s was Olaf. They had sailed too far north on a fishing trip and discovered themselves amongst the icebergs of the Arctic. Navigating through, they came to a warmer region that took them through the entrance to the interior of the earth. There they met giants, both human and animal before sailing out the south polar entrance. When their ship was wrecked the father drowned while Olaf survived by taking refuge on an iceberg until he was picked up by a whaler. When he got back to Norway and told his story he was locked up in a mental asylum for 28 long years.
Jed had thoroughly enjoyed the account but had confined it to the realms of fantasy. Until now that is. Poor Olaf, to see what he had seen and not be believed was bad enough. But to be incarcerated for it was the ultimate indignity. He had read of others who had claimed they had been here too. And now, he could add himself to that list. The difference for him being he had no way of getting back home to tell his story.
The canoe had just left the open spaces behind and was gliding into the forest; the slap of paddles and an occasional screech from a bird the only sounds to be heard. Less than an hour downstream they pulled into the bank and helped their new friends drag the canoe several hundred yards through the forest.
“We will leave it in that cave,” Erik said, pointing to a narrow opening in a large rock formation amongst the trees. “We must keep our canoes here so the Sky-Gods will not find them.”
With the canoe safely nestled amongst the others they followed Erik and his lovely sister along a winding track through the trees, until they reached a village spread out beneath the feet of the forest giants. The sentries must have spotted them long before judging by the commotion that was just now reaching their ears. Minutes later they were engulfed by dozens of children, and they were all eager to see and touch these strangely dressed foreigners. Apparently, their fear of strangers was non-existent, and Jed wished he could say the same for the men. Many were coming to the door of their dwelling with a weapon in hand to meet this new threat.
“They are friends,” Erik called out. “They come from over the ice. They come to help us fight the Sky-Gods.”
Jed looked at Rex and Jonathon who in turn looked at him. This wasn’t what they had told Erik. They had merely said they were looking for a sanctuary; somewhere they would be safe from Montrose.
“He’s dropped us right in it,” Rex whispered. “We’ll be seen as the saviors who’ll lead them to victory.”
“We’re going to have to play along,” Jed whispered back. “If we don’t it might not go too well for us.”
Erik stopped at a log cabin and waited patiently as an old man stepped off the porch and made his way painstakingly towards them. “Why have you brought our enemy here?” he demanded.
“They have come from over the ice to help us defeat the Sky-Gods,” Erik repeated.
The old man looked them up and down. “Take them to the longhouse,” he ordered, “we shall decide this matter there.”
Five minutes later Jed was taking in the solid beams of the longhouse and thinking how it looked remarkably like the ancient
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