Bubbles Travels In Time (The Adventures Of A Travelling Cat Book 4) - Giles Ekins

Bubbles Travels In Time (The Adventures Of A Travelling Cat Book 4) by Giles Ekins

Book excerpt

Bubbles Returns Home

Hello, if this is the first time we’ve met, my name is Bubbles, and I am a travelling cat.

Well to be truthful, my full name is Sir Bubbles Mwokozi wa Maisha Tembo, Saviour of the Elephant, Squiffy, Cuddleypoo, Bigebee Bade Kaanon Ka Rakshak Saviour of the Biggie-Big-Ears and Protector of the Tiger Cubs, Sur Arthur of Ravensglass, Knight Commander of the Royal Order of Oberon, Flobbles, Lord Huncas, Defender of the Unicorn and Royal Chevalier of the Golden Horn, but that is such a mouthful I’m never going to mention it again. Ever. I promise, pinky promise.

Just call me Bubbles the Travelling Cat.

***

I had just come home after my adventures in Fairyland and Unicorn Island, and I was weary and tired. Tired of travelling. Tired of adventuring. I just wanted to settle down with Lily Lollipop, the pretty white Persian cat who was my wife and mother of our children; however, we can’t always get what we want can we? Sometimes, unexpected events got in the way and that was what happened to me.

If you want, I’ll tell you all about it, but first I must tell you just a little bit about my previous adventures …

In Fairyland, I had helped to defeat Morgana, the evil twin sister of Gloriana, the Fairie Queene. Morgana had seized the throne with the aid of an army of vicious groblins and norgles—groblins were like goblins but very much worse, and norgles were slime swamp-creatures, really nasty, smelly, vicious beasts.

After seizing the throne, Morgana had imprisoned Gloriana in the farthermost regions of Fairyland. However, I had rescued her from that distant cell and together with an army of unicorns, chimps, lemurs, and a white pirate gorilla called Golang, we defeated Morgana, restoring Gloriana to the throne as the Fairie Queene.

But Lily Lollipop. known as Lady Faye in Fairyland, was not to be found. She had been a close companion to Gloriana, but Morgana had enchanted her with an evil spell and after she had been defeated, Morgana fled Fairyland, taking Lily with her.

When Queen Gloriana discovered what had happened to Lily Lollipop, she cast a spell to protect her. She did not wave a wand as seen in films or television but simply closed her eyes and clicked her fingers three times. And one time more. Then, standing up straight, she spread out her arms, closed her eyes, and chanted something under her breath.

‘I’ve now sent a fairy shield around her; nothing Morgana can do will break the shield. Lily Lollipop is now protected by the strongest of fairy magic … and although Morgana thinks she is strong in magic, I am far, far stronger.’

I gave Gloriana my thanks and left Fairyland, ready to start searching for Lily. First, however, I had to fulfill a promise made to my very good friend Eustace the unicorn. I had promised that I would help him gain his rightful throne as King of the Unicorns on Unicorn Island. Once I had done that, and only then, could I set out off home and begin my search for Lily Lollipop.

When I finally did get home, Lily Lollipop came running out to meet me; we hugged and nuzzled and kissed. I was so, so pleased to see her. Somehow, she must have escaped from the clutches of the evil Morgana, and I wanted to find out how because Morgana—trained as a Dark Witch—was the most evil fairy that had ever lived.

Then, at the house where I lived with my humans, the little girl, also called Lily, came running out to meet me. ‘Squiffy,’ she shouted (she called me Squiffy and called Lily Lollipop, Millie). ‘You’ve come back to be with Millie and me. Oh fantastic, fantastic, fantastic.’

I was delighted to see her so happy; she was such a lovely little girl. She picked me up and carried me into the house. ‘Mummy, Mummy,’ she cried excitedly, ‘Squiffy’s come back.’

Lily’s mummy scratched me behind my ears, which I loved. (If you ever want to make friends with a cat, scratch him or her behind the ears. Even if you don’t want to make friends, scratch them behind the ears anyway.)

‘Where have you been all this time, you naughty boy?’ she asked fondly, opening a tin of my favourite food, chicken pieces in luscious jelly, and putting it into a bowl for me. Even if I had been able to tell her all that I had done and where I had been, she would probably never have believed me, but you believe me, didn’t you?

Lily’s mum then put out food for Lily Lollipop but she did not seem hungry. She just sniffed at the food and walked away; her fluffy gorgeous tail tucked down around her legs.

‘Millie’s not eating again,’ Lily said anxiously. ‘She’s not eaten properly for days.’

‘I know, it’s very concerning,’ answered her mother. ‘If she’s no better in two or three days, we’ll take her to the vet. I’m sure it’s nothing serious and she will soon sort her out and give her some medication for whatever ails her.’

But Lily still looked worried so I ran after Lily Lollipop as she walked to her bed under the stairs. ‘Sweetie,’ I said, ‘what’s wrong? Aren’t you feeling well?’

‘Just tired, that’s all,’ and she turned away as if to settle down to sleep.

‘I wanted to talk to you … ask about what happened with Morgana., how you escaped from her? And to tell you all about Eustace. You remember Eustace, don’t you?’

‘Yes, of course, I remember him but I’m just too tired to talk now. Maybe tomorrow I’ll be feeling better; we can talk then,’

But the next day and the day after that she was no better. In fact, she was worse. Her brilliant blue eyes were dull and sad-looking, she was not eating, and she was tired all the time. She had no energy and was not at all well.

So, Lily’s mum put her in the cat box and took her to the lady vet. The lady vet examined her thoroughly, took her temperature, blood samples, and x-rays but could find nothing wrong—nothing wrong with Lily Lollipop at all except that she was simply wasting away.

That was when I knew that whatever was ailing her had nothing whatsoever to do with the world of humans.

I had to do something and quickly … else I was going to lose her!

Lily And The Fairie Queene

In the morning she was no better, worse in fact despite the medication that the vet had given her.

I was certain that Lily Lollipop was dying from a black magic spell, absolutely convinced of that and there was only one person in the entire world of magic who could help her.

I put my plan into action and asked her to come with me to the garden shed.

‘Why? she asked. ‘What’s in the garden shed?’

‘I’ll explain everything later, just come with me now, please.’

‘This had better not be one of your pranks, Bubbles. I’m not in the mood for anything like that.’

‘It’s not a prank, I promise.’

‘Oh, very well then.’

Slowly, she followed me into the garden shed and a beautiful voice said, ‘Oh, my dear Lady Faye. What has become of you, my dear good friend?’

It was Gloriana, the Fairie Queene!

After I had rescued Gloriana and helped put her back on the throne, I was about to leave Fairyland when she said to me, ‘One final thing, Sir Bubbles. Whenever you need me, whenever you need my assistance, just say “Gloriana, Gloriana, Gloriana” and then one time more. Myself or my fairies will then come to your aid.’

If ever I needed aid, now was the time.

But of course, Gloriana could not come into the house of Lily’s parents. Could you imagine the fuss that would make, the Fairie Queene coming into their home? Lily’s mum would be rushing around with the vacuum cleaner, polishing, and tidying up, and making cups of tea, and offering fruit cake whilst Lily’s dad would make silly jokes about fairies, and talk about his prize turnips, and the new power hose he had just bought for cleaning the car.

No, it needed to be somewhere quiet, somewhere like the garden shed, which could not be seen from the house. And so, early in the morning when Lily Lollipop was still asleep, I had gone outside through the cat flap and stood outside the garden shed. There, in a loud clear voice I said, ‘Gloriana, Gloriana, Gloriana.’ I waited three seconds and said it for the fourth time.