Ribblestrop Forever! (12 page)

‘So we’re camping?’ said Eric.

‘The circus tent!’ said Israel, with a tremor of excitement. ‘We could make space for that, pitch it by those trees.’

‘This, I imagine, is where the tribe lived,’ said Captain Routon. ‘This is one of the oldest bits of the forest.’

‘What tribe?’ said Vijay. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘The lost tribe of Ribblemoor. Doctor Ellie was telling you all about them – weren’t you listening?’

‘Come on, Routon!’ said Professor Worthington. She was smiling, broadly. ‘They don’t want guessing games, they just want to know where they’re sleeping tonight. Now
spill the beans properly.’

Captain Routon was smiling too. He was about to reply, when there was a shout from the trees.

‘
Féarrad, kengets! Fearrad na fáilte!’

The children turned, but the speaker was invisible. After a moment, though, they saw a head poking up from a hole in the soil. A pair of elderly blue eyes flashed with excitement and a hand rose
up in salute.

It was Doctor Ellie and she was beaming.

‘That means “Welcome to the brave”,’ she cried. ‘I was trying out my proto-Celtic. I’m not sure I should be using it really, as they probably spoke one of the
Indus languages. It’s all guesswork, history!’

She pulled herself up out of the hole and dusted herself down. She was wearing a long dress made of sacking, belted in the middle. There was a canvas cloak over her shoulders. ‘You found
me, then! What do you think of the camp?’

‘It’s a good spot, Doctor,’ said Captain Routon.

‘I did an archeological dig here some years ago – found all kinds of things. The water table’s higher here and there’s access into some of the tin deposits. It’s
never been properly excavated – we only had a weekend to potter about. There was something in the air, though, and it’s stronger than ever now. I would bet the tribe passed through this
very clearing, settled for some time, possibly. Who can say? Anything they built would have been wood, and wood disappears.’

‘What was that hole you were in?’ said Israel.

‘Oh, that’s just a little clay pit. It might be useful for the bread oven. If we’re going to cook here, then we’ll need two more fire-pits at least. Do you want to make a
start on them, or think about shelter?’

‘Are we eating here?’ said Ruskin.

‘Are you suggesting we
stay
here?’ said Millie.

‘Well, yes. I thought you’d had it explained,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘Are they not up to speed?’

Captain Routon was still smiling. ‘Why don’t you tell them?’ he said.

‘Certainly,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘It’s only a thought, but it seemed a pretty good one last night, because you were all so interested. Routon and I stayed on in the van,
you see, and we were looking at a few pictures and maps . . . and we thought a good outdoor history project would be just right for the summer.’

‘We’ve been wanting to do a bit of outward-bound for some time,’ said Captain Routon.

‘So I said, why not link the two?’ Doctor Ellie grinned happily. ‘Why not reconstruct the tribal village and live in it? We’d end up re-discovering some of the skills
they must have had and we can document things as we go. We’ve got fresh water over there, so we’ll be re-constructing on an authentic prehistoric site. What do you think?’

‘That’s brilliant,’ whispered Miles.

‘Actually stay here?’ said Asilah. ‘Like the tribe did? Is that what you’re saying?’

‘Build stuff?’ said Israel. ‘What, mud huts and things?’

‘Oh, they didn’t live in mud huts,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘They were much more sophisticated than that.’

The headmaster was nodding. ‘You see, children?’ he said. ‘A disaster suddenly turns into the most unique opportunity. We rise to the challenge.’

‘How, though?’ said Imagio. ‘How did they live?’

‘Well, they were farmers, of course,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘They had to be. They would have had a stockade for the animals, so that’s why I grabbed the donkeys. They would
have had some kind of meeting hall, probably here where we’re sitting – a big fire for the cold nights and a cooking fire as well. Workshops, of course, a kitchen, a butchery . . . They
were undoubtedly experts in metalwork, we can tell that from the jewellery in the museum – which we must take you to, as soon as possible, you must meet Vicky. There would have been a forge
and—’

‘Where did they sleep?’ said Anjoli. ‘I mean, where will we sleep?’

‘Here,’ said Kenji. ‘In huts!’

Every child was now staring at Doctor Ellie. Their eyes had been flicking between her and the headmaster, but now, in the growing excitement, they gazed at the old lady with a new
fascination.

‘Where would you want to sleep?’ she said, slowly. ‘Think carefully.’

‘Together,’ said Podma.

‘Together, of course. That goes without saying. But this tribe faced the unknown. They faced predators, of course, and . . . well, my understanding of the stones they left is still
incomplete, but judging from the symbols, I’m not sure they favoured huts and earth. I’m not sure they felt safe on the ground.’

‘In caves then!’ cried Ruskin. ‘You said there were tin mines, so maybe they—’

‘You’re not safe in a cave,’ said Asilah. ‘Not unless it’s one like Tomaz’s, where you hide the entrance.’

‘Dark as well,’ said Sanjay. ‘Gloomy.’

‘Trees,’ said Vijay, suddenly. ‘Maybe they just climbed trees, and made little . . . you know, hammocks – like in our village.’

‘Come here,’ said Doctor Ellie.

‘Pardon, miss?’

Doctor Ellie was standing. She beckoned to Vijay, smiling – and when he was close, she turned him gently so he was looking back at his friends. ‘You know, you’re a very bright
boy,’ she said. ‘You have intuition. You’re sensitive to the ways of a people who passed through here more than two thousand years ago. So look around you and tell me which trees
you’d choose to live in.’

Vijay was embarrassed, but excited. His eyes scanned the edges of the clearing and rose up the trunks of several ancient oaks. It was dark under the leaves, and he was aware of how huge they
were and how their limbs knotted and stretched. He said, ‘I’d choose the biggest. I’d choose where the branches were flat, like that one there. But I . . .’

‘What?’

‘I wouldn’t just put a hammock up. I mean, that’s just when you want a snooze.’

‘So what would you do?’

‘I’d build a tree house.’

There was a gasp and the phrase was immediately echoed in hushed whispers.

Doctor Ellie said, ‘Tree houses, eh? They were people who certainly loved the air. They understood water and most of all they loved moonlight and sunlight. Why would you take the risk of
being surrounded on the ground? There were wildcats and wolves. I believe you’re right, Vijay. I believe they had the most intricate system of tree dwellings, interlinked by bridges and
swings. We’d have to design carefully, of course – and getting the structural timbers won’t be easy. Are you up to a job like that? Is it too ambitious for you?’

The children stared at her, in a silence so profound it seemed unbreakable. Nobody wanted to speak, in case such an extraordinary fantasy were snatched away. For what if they were all dreaming
together and they suddenly woke up in their dreary dormitories, incarcerated in the grey walls of an old school building? Ribblestrop Towers suddenly seemed like a prison . . .

The headmaster spoke softly and carefully. ‘What we will do,’ he said, ‘is spend tonight in the circus tent. We can start construction tomorrow.’ He looked at Captain
Routon. ‘First of all, though, I propose a vote of thanks to both Captain Routon and Doctor Ellie. They have saved the day again. I vote that this term is given over to what I believe is
called, “Living History”. We will throw away these modern clothes and go back in time. We will learn a new way of life. Do I have your agreement, children? Raise your hands if I
do.’

Every hand went up.

‘Very well. Asilah, could you organise the tent, please? Tomaz and Imagio, can you pick some helpers, and we’ll get fire and food on the go – another barbecue, I’m
afraid. Sanchez, Miles and Millie, look into sanitation and drinking water, please.’

He paused, smiling.

‘Off we go, children.’

‘You know, Routon,’ said the headmaster, a little later, ‘I can’t help feeling rather glad we’ve been evicted.’

‘Every cloud, sir, a silver lining.’

‘I wouldn’t have said that a few hours ago. But I’m pondering this business of fate. Maybe the gods are with us at the moment.’

‘It’s going to be a good term, sir. Perhaps the best yet.’

The headmaster nodded. ‘Let’s just hope the police leave us alone.’

‘They won’t interfere. They won’t stop us. I was in Eastern Turkey years ago . . . little skirmish on one of those islands, dispute over the border, usual thing. We found
ourselves cut off from the main force, just the five of us. We were outnumbered, outgunned. They had the air power, of course, so we were like rats in a trap.’

‘You were being bombarded, were you?’

‘Oh yes. They were dropping everything they had. We thought our number was up.’

‘But somehow . . .?’

‘We worked together, sir. We stayed in control.’

‘Reinforcements were sent, I suppose?’

‘Oh no. No. We were abandoned. We . . . we had a good commander, though. He knew when to give orders and he knew when to listen. He let us function as a team and, because of him, we found
a way. We waited until nightfall and we scaled the cliff everyone knew was unscalable. We swam a sea everyone knew was unswimable. One rope between us, no moon in the sky, one man with a broken
leg. But we took our time and we made it. He was a bit like you, sir.’

‘Who?’

‘Our commander.’

‘Routon . . . It’s kind of you, but I never know what to do in a crisis.’

‘Oh, you’re our guiding light, sir. Always have been.’

The children worked as they had never worked before.

The roofing project of term one, and even the circus training of term two, would seem inefficient and unambitious in comparison to the creation of the tribal village. Asilah and Imagio harnessed
the camel and dragged the circus tent in on an old boat trailer. Willing hands unpacked it as others dug the fire pits. The orphans had pitched this tent so many times that they could do it in
darkness – and this was lucky, for it was soon twilight.

The great canvas rose and they drove in the pegs and tightened the guys. Soon they were sitting wearily, ready for supper. This time their burgers were squeezed between hunks of home-baked
bread, for Doctor Ellie’s bread oven was impressively efficient. It was her hope, she said, that the children would soon be grinding their own corn and doing all their own baking. Later, they
would learn the arts of the smithy.

Candles were soon lit and the layout of the village was hotly debated. An exercise book was produced and soon diagrams covered the floor.

As the younger children dozed, Asilah said, ‘Can I ask you something, miss? Are we going to do everything the way they did it? Every single thing?’

‘I’m hoping so, yes.’

‘Isn’t that going to be a bit difficult?’ said Miles.

‘It will be a challenge, of course.’

‘I think it’s going to be hard cutting wood,’ continued Asilah. ‘If we don’t have tools, it could take quite a while. And I’m thinking we ought to have boots
and gloves – just because if we don’t, we’ll probably get splinters. We don’t want to waste time in hospital.’

‘Yes,’ said Doctor Ellie. ‘They would have used natural medicines, from plants and so forth. But if we don’t have the immunity they had . . .’

‘Can’t we cheat a little bit?’ said Sam. ‘You know, just have a few things that are modern?’

‘I think we should have toilet paper,’ said Ruskin.

‘And soap,’ said Israel.

‘I think we need chainsaws,’ said Captain Routon. ‘I don’t think much can be done without them. And a block and tackle for lifting. Nails, of course.’

‘Rope,’ said Vijay.

‘Hammers,’ said Kenji. ‘Brace-and-bit.’

The list went on and Doctor Ellie thought hard. ‘I do understand,’ she said. ‘We mustn’t let the project founder because of some slavish desire to imitate every detail. I
think we have a few modern things so as to get going and then we become more authentic later. The tribe would have bargained for things, after all, in the outside world.’

She pulled a blanket around her shoulders. ‘Now I’m going to suggest we have an early night and resume this in the morning. We need to be up with the sun, you know. We’ll be
adjusting to totally new rhythms.’

The children slept well and rose before the birds.

They were lucky; one of the old chainsaws was found in Flavio’s storage shed and, once it had been cleaned and greased, it was ready for action. Breakfast was eaten quickly – coffee,
wild goose eggs and toast – and the clearing was soon ringing to the sound of a throbbing motor.

They selected six trees for felling and worked as a single organism. The first came down fast and was cut up into trestles and a wood-working bench. The other five were lowered gently onto logs,
so they could be rolled and split. Captain Routon showed them how to crack the trunks with wedges and the children found that they came apart easily if you worked with the grain. Oli and Israel
lashed the chainsaw to the edge of a plank, the blade rearing upwards at forty-five degrees. Henry was in charge of feeding the lumber into it, though everyone had to help at first. Henry held the
wood steady as it bucked in his hands and, by the time the sun was above the trees, there was a large pile of useable wood. It was soon rising into the treetops on pulleys and the foundations of
houses were soon secure.

The younger orphans gathered brushwood and stripped branches. They soon learnt how to bend and weave and, before long, roofs were taking shape. They had selected three massive oaks, but nobody
had realised just how much movement there was in a tree when you were twenty-five metres off the ground. The lashing of the platforms was a tricky business and, though they used creeper whenever
they could, thick rope was essential for the main mooring points – especially around the stairways.