TIME TALISMAN
SERIES
The Secret
of
Monk’s Hill
Part 1 of 3
by
Don Bosco
Copyright © Don Bosco 2011
Published by
Autumn Wonders
An Imprint of Select Books Pte Ltd
and
We Green Solutions Pte Ltd
ISBN: 978-981-07-0711-8
Smashwords Edition
CHAPTER 1
Justin Low soared off the ramp. He grabbed his skateboard and flew through the air, like a bird.
"Check this out!" he yelled, so loudly that the nice lady walking past almost had a heart attack.
It was late Friday afternoon. First week of the December holidays.
Justin was at the Skate Park with his two best friends, Emily Anson and Roz Hamid.
His life felt perfect.
Justin landed. The skateboard wheels hit the ground with a hard crunch.
But he kept his balance, and rolled on without losing speed.
Emily clapped.
"Woo-hoo!" she screamed at Justin.
She was impressed. So was Roz.
"Amazing!" Roz called out. "How did you master that trick so fast?"
Justin went over to them. He shrugged modestly.
"I've been watching the older kids do it for some time already. And then I tried it myself. It came naturally."
Justin offered them his skateboard, so they could have a turn. "Here, why don't you try it? I'll teach you."
Emily pulled a face. "No, thanks. I'm not in the mood."
Roz turned to her. "Already worrying about your holiday project?"
Emily sighed. "Yes! I really need something cool to talk about. But I don't have any ideas!"
Justin said, "Why not talk about skateboarding? I bet your classmates will love it."
Emily shook her head.
"Someone in my class will be visiting a factory, where they build rockets to take tourists up for short trips into space. Her presentation will be fantastic. I need to come up with something a lot better!"
At that moment, Justin's mobile phone rang. He checked the number.
"Excuse me, guys. It's my dad."
Justin took the call. His dad was all excited.
"Come over right away! There's something you must see!"
Justin protested, "But Dad, I'm at the Skate Park with Roz and Emily! And Roz's friend will be performing a rap song at the community club later. Didn't you say that I could go?"
"Yes, I did. But we found something unbelievable today, at our building site. You must see this. Why don't you bring your friends?"
"But—"
"I'll buy you guys dinner after that. Hurry!"
~~~
Justin, Emily and Roz took a bus down to the office. But when they got there, the front door was locked.
Justin had his own key. He let them in.
Justin's dad was an architect, and ran his own company.
Justin often came here on weekends, to use the colour printer for his class projects.
Justin called out, "Dad? Are you here?"
Roz looked around. "I don't think so. The place is deserted."
Emily's sharp eyes noticed a handwritten note on the front desk. "Justin, he left a message."
Justin read the note: "Stepped out for a while. Need to mail a package. I'll be right back."
At that moment, they heard a strange sound. A low rumble.
Emily turned to Justin. "You hear that?"
Justin nodded. "It's coming from the meeting room. Maybe the air conditioner's busted, or something. I should take a look."
Justin tried the door. It was locked. But he found the key hanging by the notice board.
It was dark inside. Except for a soft glow, from a strange object on the conference table.
The object was round and made of metal. Like a plate, or a small shield.
There were carvings on the surface: a small square inside a bigger circle, surrounded by rows of unfamiliar symbols.
The object was vibrating so hard, it made the table shake.
Roz said, "Mystery solved! That's where the rumble is coming from."
Emily was fascinated. "Justin, what's that?"
Justin had never seen it before. Maybe one of his father's new tools. "Looks like some sort of gadget. I’d better try to switch it off!"
The object vibrated even more violently. As if it had heard Justin.
The soft glow grew in intensity, until it was as bright as a powerful street light.
And the rumbling kept getting louder.
Roz pulled Justin back. "Be careful. It sounds like it might explode!"
Sure enough, the very next second, the object gave off a blinding flash.
Emily shrieked. It felt like something was dragging her towards the object.
"Grab me, guys! Help!"
Justin tried to take Emily's hand. But he could hardly keep his balance. He was being pulled in too.
So was Roz.
"Look!" Roz shouted.
Strange lights appeared above the object. They swirled around in circles, creating a vortex.
Then, a strong force lifted the three of them off the ground, and spun them around at a furious speed.
Justin saw his friends struggling to get free. But they were all helpless.
Justin wished desperately that his dad would hurry back, and save them.
And then everything went dark.
~~~
After a long time, they felt themselves falling.
Down, down, down. Until they hit the ground.
Justin was the first to get up.
He looked around. The sun was high above him, shining brightly.
The ground under him was wet, and covered with leaves.
This wasn't his father's office. Somehow, they had been teleported to another place.
But where?
Roz came over to Justin. He looked worried. And confused.
"Are you hurt?" he asked. "What happened?"
Suddenly, they heard someone shouting.
Emily said, "Look! Up the slope."
There was a tall man standing there.
He wasn't wearing a shirt. The kids could see that he had strange red skin, with blue streaks on it.
Large birth marks. Or tattoos. It was hard to tell.
The man shouted at them again. He was too far away for them to make out what he was saying.
"That guy sounds angry," Justin said. "Do either of you know him?"
Roz shook his head. "This is all too weird. Let's find a place to sit, and figure out what's happening"
But Emily said, "Maybe he can help us. It's worth a try."
Before Justin and Roz could stop her, she was waving to the strange man.
Then she shouted, "Woo-hoo? Sir, could you please come over?"
Before she could finish, he was running towards them.
And as he got closer, the kids realised that he wasn't human.
He was a demon.
CHAPTER 2
Emily was already regretting her decision.
The demon approached them. His skin was indeed red and blue. His forehead looked swollen. And he had eyes like a snake’s.
Emily tried to appear calm. "Hello, sir," she said, "we seem to be lost here—"
Before she could finish, the demon grabbed her throat.
"Hey!" Justin shouted. "Don't touch her!"
Justin and Roz rushed to help Emily.
Just as the boys got within reach, the demon let go of Emily, and smacked them.
He was so strong that Justin and Roz were sent flying backwards.
Then, before Emily could escape, he grabbed her again.
He towered over them, and roared. "I am Megamo. You will obey me!"
Emily struggled.
"Mega-what?" she spluttered. "Let me go!"
She kicked the demon. But his skin was so hard that her own foot hurt.
Megamo dropped her.
"Tell me!" he commanded. "Where is the Treasure Dragon?"
Roz tried to appear helpful. "What Treasure Dragon? We don't know what you're talking about."
This made Megamo even more angry. "You're lying!"
Justin crawled over and whispered, "Emily! Get ready to run."
But Megamo heard him. "Run? I don't think so."
The demon yelled out a string of strange sounds. An unfamiliar language.
He was casting a spell.
The three kids felt their joints get stiff.
"I can't move!" Roz gasped.
But Justin couldn't hear him.
Because Emily was on his other side, screaming in terror.
CHAPTER 3
A huge tiger had rushed out from behind the bushes.
With a savage roar, it bared its fangs, and leapt at Megamo.
It took Megamo by surprise, and knocked him over.
Megamo yelled in annoyance, "Get away from me!"
But the tiger refused to back off.
Instead, it sunk its teeth deep into Megamo's thigh.
They wrestled on the ground.
Because of Megamo's spell, the kids were still frozen in their places.
But they could speak.
"Something's very wrong," Justin told the others. "Tigers don't wander around like that. Not in Singapore."
"Not in our time," Emily agreed. "But they used to. More than a hundred years ago, there were tigers everywhere."
"Look!" Roz hissed. He stared in disbelief.
Justin followed Roz's eyes.
Someone was creeping towards them.
He was young, and wore a brown robe. His head was shaven completely bald.
When he got close, Justin heard him whisper, "Lift the magic that we cannot see; break the spell and set them free!"
Right away, Justin felt his joints relax. He could move again. So could Roz and Emily.
"Who are you?" Justin asked.
"My name is Wen," their rescuer answered. "Follow me. Before Megamo sees us!"
They followed Wen.
Megamo saw them. But he had his hands full with the tiger.
Still, Megamo screamed, "My men will hunt you down. You cannot escape! Hand over the Treasure Dragon!"
Wen ignored him, and started running.
Justin and his friends followed.
~~~
Finally, they came to a clearing. Wen stopped, to catch his breath.
"Maybe you can give us some answers," Justin told him. "Like, what happened to us? How did we get here?"
"I had no choice," Wen said. "I activated the Time Talisman, and summoned you."
Emily was puzzled. "What talisman?"
"You mean this object?" Justin held out the metal plate that he had picked up in his father's office.
He had tucked it under his shirt, to hide it from Megamo.
Wen nodded. "It creates a portal through time. It used to belong to my master. Here, let me have a look," he said.
He took the talisman from Justin. He rubbed it, and chanted softly.
The talisman started to glow again.
Roz stepped backwards. He remembered the last time he saw the talisman glow. It wasn't a pleasant experience.
Still, Roz was curious. "Why did you summon us? Where are we?"
Wen bowed to them. "I used this talisman to bring you one hundred and fifty years back in time. But Megamo sensed your presence, and got to you first. I'm sorry."
Emily laughed nervously. "One hundred and fifty years back in time? Guys, he's kidding, right?"
Justin didn't reply. He was thinking hard. Trying to make sense of everything.
He asked, "What does Megamo want?"
"He wants the Treasure Dragon," Wen replied. "It's a great source of magical power. If Megamo gets hold of it, he will use it to destroy the world!"
"Treasure Dragon?" Emily asked. "There are real dragons here?"
Before Wen could reply, there was a howl in the distance. It sounded really furious.
"That's Megamo," Wen said. "The tiger was just a magical manifestation that I created. He must have found a way to defeat it. And now he's coming for us."
Emily remembered Megamo's hand on her throat. "What will we do now?"
But Wen was already in action. He handed the talisman back to Justin.
It sounded like Megamo was getting closer.
"It's too dangerous for you to be here now. I'll deal with Megamo. And then I'll summon you again."
"But—"
Justin didn't have time to finish.
Wen clapped his hands.
There was a blinding flash. Then, the kids were lifted into the air, just like before.
The spinning started.
They could barely hear Wen's parting words.
"I'm counting on you!"
CHAPTER 4
When the spinning stopped, they were back in Justin's father's office.
Roz felt dizzy. He held on to the back of a chair. "This is just too weird!"
There was a sound outside.
Emily looked terrified. Could it be Megamo?
Justin hurriedly put the talisman back on the table.
He said, "That must be my father."
Sure enough, it was.
~~~
Justin's dad burst in. "There you are! Sorry, I had to step out for a while."
The kids exchanged glances. Should they tell him about what happened?
Justin hesitated. He sensed his friends' nervousness.
He said, "Dad, we came over as fast as we could. What did you want to show us?"
But his father had already picked up the talisman. He raised it proudly.
"My company was digging at a construction site near Monk's Hill today," he said. "We're building a hotel there. And we found this. What do you think it is?"
The kids looked nervous. Of course they knew what it was. But should they tell him all about it?
Justin's dad was clearly excited.
He continued, "This is an amazing relic! Look at these strange markings, and the beautiful workmanship. I've never seen anything like this before. It's probably hundreds of years old. Who knows what it was used for?"
"Uh, what are you going to do with it, Dad?" Justin asked.
"I called the National Heritage Board," his father said. "They're coming by on Monday to take it away. They'll have to do some tests, to find out what it's made of, and exactly how old it is. They're thrilled. But I wanted you to see it first!"
Justin looked at his friends. Should he mention what happened?
Roz shrugged. Emily shook her head.
Justin said, "Dad—uh, thanks."
~~~
The three friends met again the next day.
Justin said, "I tried to ask my father for more information. But he doesn't know much about the talisman."
Roz chipped in. "I did some research about talismans. They're objects that have magical powers. They're used to cast all sorts of spells."
"That was an awful talisman," Emily complained. "It wasn't powerful enough to keep away that bad demon. Mega-what's-his-name."
Roz shuddered. "Megamo!"
Emily slapped his shoulder. "Shhh! I don't even dare to say his name. Just in case he appears again."
"Dad said there used to be a temple at Monk's Hill," Justin said. "It was built by some Shaolin monks from China. But the temple was destroyed in 1870. Nobody knows exactly what happened."
This got Roz interested. "Shaolin? Isn't that the place in China where the monks invented kung fu?"
Justin nodded. "Something like that. Dad's been doing his own research. He showed me a website about Chinese talismans."
Emily had a thought. She was excited. "What did the website say?"
"The talisman that he found was probably created by a society of alchemists in ancient China," Justin said. "It could be the only one left in existence today."
Roz was flabbergasted. This was sounding more and more far-fetched. "Alchemists? Aren't they kind of like magicians, or sorcerers?"
Justin nodded.
He said, "According to some historical records, the talisman was brought to Singapore two hundred years ago. In the 1850s, a rich man found out about its existence. He paid a lot of money to get hold of the talisman. He kept it hidden in a house at River Valley Road. There were rumours that this might have been Tan Kim Seng, the first Chinese magistrate in Singapore. But nobody knows for sure. One night it was stolen, and never seen again."
Roz said, "We have to tell someone about what happened! The talisman is dangerous. We could have been killed."
"He's right," Justin agreed. "Once the National Heritage Board takes it away, who knows what could happen? The demon might appear at their office, and hurt a lot of people."
"We can't tell your father," Emily suddenly blurted out. "Not yet, anyway."
Justin was puzzled. "Why not?"
"First, we have to go back, and take a photo of the talisman!" She was shaking in excitement.
"You remember the class presentation that I'm supposed to do? I'll talk about the talisman! That will surely get me the highest grade in the whole class!"
CHAPTER 5
Justin tried. But he couldn't talk Emily out of it.
So he agreed to take them back to his dad's office that afternoon. Just long enough for Emily to get some photos.
It was Saturday. There was no one else there.
Justin turned on the lights, and they went into the meeting room.
The talisman was still on the table.
The minute they got near it, it started to glow again.
"This is bad," Roz said. "Justin, let's go get your father now!"
But Emily was already busy with her camera.
"Woo-hoo!" she said. "Hang on, this is what I came here for!"
Before she could snap her first photo, the floating lights appeared.
This time, they seemed to move a lot more urgently.
"Back away, Emily!" Justin cried.
And then—in a flash! —the kids were swept up again, and spinning back into the past.
One hundred and fifty years went swirling by.
~~~
They landed so hard, it left them breathless and bruised.
Justin tried to figure out if they were at the same spot as before. But he couldn't be sure.
Wen was waiting.
Justin rubbed his elbow. He had hurt it when he landed.
"How did you know when to get us?" he asked.
"I didn't have to," Wen explained. "I activated the talisman when I was ready. It did the rest of the work on its own."
Emily glanced around. "Megamo's not here, is he?"
"No," Wen assured her. "I managed to lose him. He's probably back in his mansion in Chinatown. We need to get going! We can talk along the way."
Wen started walking. They followed.
This time, Justin was firm. "Hey! You can't just pull us over like that. You owe us an explanation! What's going on?"
But Wen had other thoughts on his mind.
He pointed at the hill behind them. "That's Monk's Hill," he said. "Where we met. Remember this place. It's important!"
Justin turned to look. The hill was mostly covered in trees. There were a few huts on the slope.
Roz said, "It looks a lot different from the Monk's Hill in our time!"
Emily laughed. "Singapore's changed a lot in a hundred and fifty years!"
She still had her camera. She tried to take a photo with it, but to her surprise, she couldn't get it turned on.
"Maybe it's the time travel," she said, disappointed. "It messed up the circuits inside."
They walked for two hours, until they reached a hut somewhere in Bukit Timah.
"Welcome," Wen said. "This is my home for now."
CHAPTER 6
Wen offered them water, and some Chinese buns.
Everyone ate quickly. They were hungry!
Emily wished she had some bubble tea to go with the buns. She longed to get back to her time, and snuggle up in her own bed again.
But for now, she was stuck here.
Then, Wen started his story.
"Three hundred years ago, Megamo was one of the top generals in the great army in China," Wen said.
"He arrested some rebel alchemists, who were plotting to overthrow the king. But instead of turning them in, he brought them to a secret cave in the mountains, and made them teach him about magic. Over time, he used this to transform himself into a demon."
"Yucks," Emily said. "Why would he do that?"
"He's hungry for power," Wen replied. "Megamo wants to conquer the world, and rule over every country under the sky. He wants to turn this into his own hellish kingdom."
Emily didn't think this made sense. "If he's really a powerful demon, and he's been around for three hundred years, why hasn't he succeeded yet?"
Roz nodded. He thought it was a good question.
Wen said, "Megamo is not completely invincible. About two hundred years ago, a group of warrior monks from the Shaolin temple decided that they had to stop him. Every time he tried to grab some power for himself, the Shaolin monks would make things difficult for him. And so they prevented him from making progress."
Justin listened attentively. He had many questions. But they could wait.
Wen continued, "Megamo needed one magic item to make himself invincible. Once he got hold of it, he would be able to cast a powerful spell to transform himself into a King Demon. And then he would be unstoppable."
"Are you one of the Shaolin monks?" Justin asked. "I mean, your head is shaved, and you dress like a monk—"
"Yes, I am," Wen said. He bowed his head, and clutched the string of beads that hung around his neck.
Wen knew that he would not get their support until he had told them the full story. So he continued.
"The item that Megamo needed was the Treasure Dragon. There's only one of its kind in the whole world. The Shaolin monks got hold of it before Megamo. We vowed that we would never give it up."
"You mentioned the Treasure Dragon before," Emily said. "What exactly is it?"
"It's a magical gem," Wen said. "Some believe it was created at the birth of the universe. Others say it's actually an egg, laid by a divine dragon. Either way, it's able to generate incredible levels of magical energy. Enough to create a new universe. Or destroy this present one!"
"But Megamo and the Shaolin monks, shouldn't they be in China?" Roz asked. "How did they get here?"
"We left China with the Treasure Dragon," Wen said. "We were determined never to let Megamo get his hands on it. So we sailed to Singapore and set up a temple at Monk's Hill. We've been protecting it ever since."
"Megamo followed you over?" Justin asked.
"Yes. He's working with some people here, to raise a pirate army and take over the whole region. He wants to be ruler of Southeast Asia. And then, eventually, he'll take over the world."
"Where are the other Shaolin monks?" Emily asked. "Aren't they doing anything about it?"
Wen clenched his fists.
"Three days ago, Megamo attacked our temple. We were not prepared."
Wen paused, then added, "His powers have grown tremendously. We were no match for him. He killed all the other monks."
At this point, Wen started to cry. Emily felt so sad for him.
"I'm the last of the Shaolin monks," Wen said. "It's my duty to protect the Treasure Dragon. That's why I activated the Time Talisman, and sent out a desperate call for help. It reached across time, and found the three of you."
"You have to help me defeat Megamo, and protect the Treasure Dragon!"
Justin said, "But what can we do? We're not trained in martial arts like you. And we don't know magic."
Wen kneeled before them. "You've been summoned for a reason. This time, the Time Talisman won't let you go back until your mission here is completed."
"What?" Emily couldn't believe her ears. "How could you do that to us? My mother's waiting for me back home!"
Wen was determined to secure their help.
"Please promise to help me get the Treasure Dragon safely out of Singapore. Everything else will be explained, when the time is right."
CHAPTER 7
They slept under the stars that night. The weather was warm enough.
Wen gave each of them a thin cotton sheet to wrap around themselves. It kept the mosquitoes from biting them.
Early the next morning, Wen spotted a cloud of dust rising in the distance.
"Megamo is approaching," he warned.
Emily was upset. "How did he find us?"
"He used his dark magic!" Wen grabbed some items from inside the hut, and hurried away.
The rest ran after him, trying to keep up.
"There's a place up north, where we can hide," Wen explained. "Unless Megamo catches up with us first."
Just then, a wave of arrows and spears rained down on them, from behind.
But the arrows and spears couldn't hurt them. They bounced off harmlessly.
Wen turned to Emily. "I created a thin energy field above us. The arrows won't be able to pierce through it. We'll be safe for now."
Then Wen stopped suddenly. His eyes grew wide.
"No!"
In front of them, a figure leapt down from the upper branches of a tree.
It was Megamo. Snarling in fury.
"You Shaolin monks are a pesky lot," he growled. "I've tolerated you for far too long. I'll not rest until I've buried every last one of you. And your new friends too."
Emily screamed. She thought Megamo looked even more frightening than before.
"I'm not afraid!" Wen shouted back. "You'll never get the Treasure Dragon."
Justin looked around for a way to escape.
Megamo's pirates were closing in from behind.
Justin picked up some stones.
He handed a few to Emily. "Aim for their foreheads," he said. "Between their eyes. If you throw hard enough, it'll knock them out."
Meanwhile, Wen and Megamo were preparing for a battle of magic.
Wen pulled out a lump of red jade.
He held this in his left hand, and grabbed his string of beads with his right.
Wen started reciting some magic chants, to create an even more powerful defensive shield around them.
Megamo sniggered. "Your Shaolin tricks are useless against me. Remember what it brought your fellow monks! Today, you and your friends will taste my wrath!"
Roz saw that the pirates were advancing on them, waving their weapons.
Emily grabbed Wen's robe. "What do we do now?"
She was terrified. She had never been in a situation like this before.
"We have no other choice," Justin said. "We'll have to fight."
CHAPTER 8
Emily squealed. "Are you mad? We're surrounded! And outnumbered!"
Wen was calm. "We're not completely surrounded," he said.
He pointed at the sky.
Roz looked upwards. He was puzzled. "Huh? You want us to admire the clouds?"
Wen threw his lump of red jade on the ground. Then he stomped on it, smashing it to pieces.
He picked up some small bits, and handed them to Justin.
"Here. Rub this on your chest. It'll turn you invisible, and lighter than air."
Roz and Emily received a handful of the red chunks each, too. They followed Wen's instructions.
Wen started chanting again.
The magic took effect almost right away. They started to turn invisible.
Megamo was furious.
"No!" Megamo shouted. "You will not escape!"
He sent a blast of hot energy in their direction.
It was aimed at Roz, the last one to turn invisible.
The blast hurt. Roz squirmed in pain. "Aaaargh!"
Then he passed out.
Wen hurried over to help Roz.
But Megamo was expecting this.
He shot another blast that hit Wen and knocked him to the ground.
Then, Megamo stretched out his fingers, and yelled an incantation.
A cloud of blue vapour materialised in the air above Roz and Wen.
Wen pushed Roz away, just before the cloud fell on Wen, and kept him pinned to the ground.
Also, the cloud made Wen fully visible again.
Wen shouted to the rest, "Get Roz, and go! Leave me!"
Megamo screamed, "Grab all of them! A hundred gold pieces if you succeed!"
That was all the pirates needed to hear.
With a great roar, they rushed forward.
Justin's heart was pounding. He knew he had to move fast. Or they would all be captured.
Justin couldn't see Roz and Emily. Wen's magic dust had indeed made them completely invisible.
But Justin could make out two faint auras, surrounding their bodies.
Somehow, from the way the auras looked, Justin could tell that one was Roz, and the other was Emily.
He helped Roz to his feet. Together, they floated up above the trees.
They drifted over the pirates, away from Megamo. Careful to keep silent.
Behind them, they could still hear the pirates making a commotion.
The pirates were waving their spears about blindly, hoping to hit one of the kids.
And they were getting frustrated.
Megamo was disgusted with their incompetence.
"Take the little monk back to Chinatown!" he grunted. "We'll deal with him there."
CHAPTER 9
Justin, Emily and Roz made their way back to Wen's hut. They spent the night there.
The next morning, just as the sun was coming up, they found their way to Chinatown.
They knew this was dangerous. But they didn't have a choice.
A friend needed their help. Desperately.
~~~
All three wore cotton hoods, pulled down over their faces.
They had made these out of the light sheets that they had used as blankets.
Even this early in the morning, Chinatown was already crowded.
Everywhere they turned, they saw hardworking merchants, sailors and dock workers rushing about.
Many of these people worked at the Singapore River nearby.
There were also as many pirates, slave traders and gamblers.
"Do you think Wen will be okay?" Emily wondered, in a soft voice.
Roz looked grim. "I hope so. The best thing we can do is try to follow some of these pirates.Hopefully they'll lead us to Megamo's headquarters. Which is where we'll find Wen."
Justin warned them, "Keep your faces covered. We don't want the pirates to recognise us."
They kept walking.
Through the crowd, Justin glimpsed a strange building.
It was painted bright red, with blue streaks running down the side.
"That mansion over there," he said excitedly. "Does it remind you of a certain demon?"
"Megamo!" Roz said. "It has to be. Only that nutcase would paint his house like this."
"Yeuch!" Emily said.
The house looked hideous.
~~~
The kids stayed some distance away, and surveyed the place.
There were two guards sitting outside the main door. They were playing dice.
Roz said, "How will we get past them?"
"Let's hang around and see," Justin suggested.
They stood under a tree, and acted like they were waiting for someone.
At last, the two guards went back inside. Perhaps they were thirsty, or hungry.
Emily said, "Here's our chance! Before they come back out again."
Justin led the way.
They hurried over to the front entrance, and peered inside.
They saw a large courtyard, filled with pirates and thieves.
All of them were busy, either polishing their weapons or practising martial arts.
Roz turned to Justin. "Look! There's a small door on the left. If we're quick, we can get in before anyone notices us."
Justin nodded. "Let's do it!"
They entered, and made their way to the door.
Hearts pounding. Expecting to be stopped and challenged.
Emily tried the door.
It opened easily, into a long, dark corridor, leading all the way to the back of the mansion.
~~~
It was dim inside. Their eyes took a few seconds to adjust.
They were scared, and their hearts were beating fast. But they tried hard not to show it.
"I've played a lot of crazy games on my Xbox," Justin said. "But nothing ever came close to this!"
Roz shuddered. "This place feels spooky," he said.
"I know what you mean," Emily agreed. "There's an air of evil. It makes my skin crawl."
Justin stopped them. He had been studying the doors along the corridor.
"That one! It looks heavier than the rest. And you see that big lock? Megamo's hiding something in there."
"Or someone," Roz guessed.
They inspected it.
Sure enough, the door was thicker and heavier than the others.
Emily noticed something interesting. "Down there!"
There was a red smudge on the ground in front of the door.
Roz bent over to inspect it. "This is the red dust that Wen used to turn us invisible!"
"He could have left it for us, as a clue," Justin said. "He's probably inside. But how can we be sure?"
"Let me try!" Emily said.
She got down on her knees, and peered into the crack under the door.
"Woo-hoo?" she crooned softly.
They heard someone scrambling on the other side.
Then a familiar voice said, "I knew you'd come for me!"
"Wen!" Emily was delighted.
Justin frowned. "Finding him was the easy part. But now we have to get him out."
CHAPTER 10
"You see the red dust on the ground?" Wen said. "Grab as much of it as you can, and rub it on the lock."
Justin and Emily did as he instructed.
Roz kept watch, in case someone came along.
"Now stand back," Wen advised.
They heard him clap his hands three times, and say some magical phrases aloud.
The red dust on the lock started to sizzle!
It turned blazing hot, and dissolved the metal.
Justin and Emily stared in amazement.
From the other side, Wen gave the door a hard shake.
The lock fell apart, into hundreds of tiny pieces.
The door opened. Wen stood there, smiling at them.
"With allies like you, I'm confident that we can defeat Megamo!"
But Roz was signalling to them.
Emily said, "Someone's walking this way! They must have heard us!"
"Let's hope they don't realise Wen is gone," Justin said, as he pulled the door shut again. "At least until we're far away!"
~~~
They sneaked out of the dark mansion, and into the bright sunlight outside.
Wen knew his way around Chinatown.
He took them through the backstreets and smaller lanes.
Soon, they were out of the city area, and walking on a dusty trail.
They travelled briskly for an hour, until they reached a swampy area.
Wen explained, "They call this place Toa Payoh. Or Big Swamp. There's an old cemetery somewhere here. But hardly anyone visits it these days. Hoo Ah Kay, the rich businessman, has a mansion on the other side of this swamp."
Justin was fascinated. The Toa Payoh that he knew was a bustling, noisy town. But here, there were only trees and insects.
Also, Justin had read about Hoo Ah Kay back in school. Justin remembered that Ah Kay was also known as Whampoa. His mansion was a place where great parties were held.
Justin asked, "Is that where we're going now? To see Mr Hoo Ah Kay?"
Wen shook his head. "I've a friend who lives a little further up. His name is Kai Fook. He came over from China not long ago. He supports our cause. He has even offered to pay for a new Shaolin temple at Monk's Hill."
"But is he prepared to fight Megamo?" Roz asked.
Wen sighed. "I don't know. But right now, he's the best bet we have."
~~~
They reached Kai Fook's plantation.
He grew oranges and vegetables, and kept peacocks.
Wen told Kai Fook about Megamo's attempt to steal the Treasure Dragon.
And how they had just escaped from Megamo's mansion.
"Does anyone else know that you've come here?" Kai Fook said anxiously.
Wen shook his head. "Please, we need your help to get the Treasure Dragon out of Singapore. Before Megamo comes for it again."
Kai Fook looked furious. "Megamo must never get his evil hands on it! Who knows what destruction he will cause?"
"What will we do now?" Emily asked.
Wen had an idea. He turned to Kai Fook. "Do you have a boat that we can use, to get across to Johor?"
Kai Fook was surprised by the question. "A boat? I'm sure I can arrange something."
Then he added, "But first, the four of you must be extremely hungry. I insist that you have dinner with me. My cooks have prepared some special dishes. What do you think?"
They all smiled. Kai Fook had indeed guessed right.
They were starving!
"Woo-hoo!" Emily said. "Thank you, that's the best idea I've heard all day!"
Then, to Kai Fook's astonishment, she gave him a hug, to show her appreciation.
CHAPTER 11
Kai Fook's servants served an elaborate meal.
There was braised chicken, three vegetable dishes, rice and a special chilli paste from Malacca.
Roz burped at the end. "Thank you for that great feast!"
"But we really need to get moving," Wen reminded them.
He looked at Kai Fook. "How soon can we get that boat?"
Kai Fook stroked his chin. "I have a few boats at the Singapore River. But it's too close to Chinatown. For your own safety, you should stay away from that area."
"What about the Bugis village?" Wen suggested. "Maybe we can find a fisherman there, who will help us."
"Too many pirates among them," Kai Fook pointed out. "They'd happily take you to Megamo, and ask for a reward. Let's not risk that."
Kai Fook proposed a plan.
"You can make your way up north," Kai Fook said. "Head for the beach at Sembawang."
Emily was excited to hear this.
Before she could stop herself, she said, "Sembawang? I've an aunt who lives there!"
Kai Fook stared at her. He seemed curious about this. "Really?"
Justin laughed. "Yes. Well, no. It's—it's hard to explain."
They had travelled over a hundred years back into the past. Emily's aunt had not even been born yet!
Wen tried to get Kai Fook's attention again. "What will we do, once we get to Sembawang?"
"I can arrange for a boat to take you across the Straits of Johor," Kai Fook said. "I know some of the local officials on the other side. They'll escort you up to Thailand. I sometimes run errands for their ruler, the Maharajah Abu Bakar. So they owe me a favour or two."
"We'll be safe from Megamo there?" Roz asked.
"Yes, you'll be safe for a while," Kai Fook confirmed. "And more importantly, so will the Treasure Dragon."
~~~
Kai Fook prepared a guest bungalow for them to spend the night. He also lent them fresh clothes.
Although it was late, Wen went out for a walk.
He wanted to practise his kung fu moves. In case he had to fight Megamo, or the pirates.
The other three lay on their mats, talking about their strange adventure so far.
Roz looked sad. "I'm not sure how to make sense of all this," he confessed. "Right now, part of me just wants to go home."
"Me too," Emily sighed. "I miss my mother. And her fish curry."
Justin understood their feelings.
But he also saw that there was something a lot bigger at stake.
"If Megamo gets the Treasure Dragon, he'll abuse his power, and become an evil dictator," Justin said.
"Wen is counting on us to help stop Megamo. He can't do this alone."
CHAPTER 12
The next morning, using a hand-drawn map from Kai Fook, they found their way to Sembawang beach.
Justin found a chance to question Wen when they stopped for a rest.
"We've heard a lot about the Treasure Dragon," Justin said. "But we've never seen it. What does it look like?"
"You've helped me come this far," Wen said. "It's only right that I show it to you."
Wen reached under his robe, and pulled out a small package, wrapped in yellow silk.
The others gathered around as Wen unfolded the silk cloth.
Inside, there was a brown box.
Emily's eyes grew wide.
"Woo-hoo!" she said. "We finally get to see the Treasure Dragon!"
Wen opened the box. But his heart sank.
"This can't be!" he exclaimed.
The box was empty.
~~~
Wen was confused and angry.
"When was the last time you saw it?" Roz asked.
"Just last night," Wen replied. "I checked it after my walk. And I made sure that I put it away safely again."
"Should we go back, then?" Emily suggested. "Did you drop it along the way?"
Wen shook his head. "The only time it could have happened was—"
"What?" Justin asked.
Wen slapped his own forehead. "Kai Fook! He insisted that we take a bath this morning before we left, remember? He was looking for a chance to steal it!"
Justin was puzzled. "Are you sure? He seemed so helpful. And he's even offered us his boat, to get across to Malaya."
Roz grabbed Justin's arm. "Uh-oh. Guys, look."
A gang of pirates were walking on the beach, towards them.
Their swords were drawn, and they were clearly ready for some mean business.
Everything made sense to Wen. "Kai Fook tricked us! This is a trap!"
As the pirates got nearer, Justin recognised some of the faces. Megamo's henchmen!
Emily looked around. "We have to find a boat. Any boat! As long as we can escape across the water."
But Wen shook his head. "There's no time. The pirates will get to us first."
"Use your magic," Roz said, also starting to sound frantic. "Like the last time. Make us fly!"
"That was the last of my magic," Wen said, with a grim look. "I'm sorry, I didn't have time to prepare more."
The pirate leader shook his fist at them. "This time, you're not getting away. Megamo will eat you alive!"
The other pirates roared in laughter.
Wen had to make a tough decision. He said, "I can't leave Singapore without the Treasure Dragon. I have to go back and get it."
Emily was scared. But she tried not to show it.
"We'll distract the pirates," she suggested to Justin. "So that Wen can sneak off, and get back to Kai Fook's house."
"You know that we'll probably be captured, don't you?" Justin told her.
Emily remembered what Justin had said the night before. About why they had to stop Megamo.
She gave a brave smile. "It's the right thing to do!"
"Quick, guys!" Roz urged them. "The pirates!"
Indeed, by now the pirates were only twenty metres away.
"Wen," Justin said. "Start running. We'll hold them off."
Roz shook his head in disbelief. "How?"
There was a gleam in Justin's eyes. "I've an idea. It's crazy. But it could work. Go, Wen!"
Wen took off as fast as he could.
His last words were, "We'll meet again!"
Justin turned to face the pirates.
He shouted to their leader, "Come on. We'll show you who's tougher!"
"Three kids against a pirate gang?" Roz sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing!"
* What is Justin's insane plan?
* What will the pirates do to Justin, Emily and Roz?
* Where is the Treasure Dragon?
* Will the three friends ever get back home again?
To be continued in The Secret of Monk's Hill (Part 2)
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