The Chronicles of Rubidjad Island - The Rescue Read online

THE CHRONICLES OF RUBIDJAD ISLAND

  BOOK 1 – THE RESCUE

  By Danielle Perrotte Dobbs

  Copyright 2009 Danielle Perrotte Dobbs

  An epic ocean odyssey about sea creatures,

  a mermaid, pirates, a wizard, and real heroes!

  A story that will enchant children and delight

  ocean and wildlife conservationists!

  BOOK TRAILER VIDEO

  COPYRIGHT

  Text copyright 2009 Danielle Perrotte Dobbs

  Published by Imagic Press

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be performed, reproduced, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author/publisher. If you obtained this e-book through a free promotion, kindly send your friends the link where they’ll be able to download it from the book distributor.

  ISBN: 978-1-938779-05-3

  GENRE

  Juvenile fantasy! Magic! Time warps! Adventures!

  Historical events! Real heroes!

  The Chronicles of Rubidjad Island series includes four books – The Rescue, The Treasure, The Promise, The Lesson. The story is a fantasy adventure about pirates, whales, dolphins, sea turtles, intelligent sea creatures, mermaids, a wizard, and real heroes.

  The story has the magic of The Wizard of Oz, the fantasy of Harry Potter, and the message of peace of The Chronicles of Narnia! It is written for the young and the young-at-heart. It appeals to children, ocean lovers, wildlife conservationists, and it appeals to parents and teachers looking for inspiring stories.

  “The Wrath Of Whales”

  Postcard - also available as a poster on my website.

  To receive a personalized autograph,

  see “Post A Review And Receive An Autograph.”

  THE CHRONICLES OF RUBIDJAD ISLAND

  Synopses

  THE RESCUE – Book I

  Rémi, a dolphin disappears. His friends fear pirates kidnapped him, and they seek the help of Wizard Rubidjad. On his advice, the sea creatures gather information about the strengths and weaknesses of their enemy. Together they devise an ingenious plan to free Rémi. Fate intervenes when Captain Malo finds himself owing his life to sea creatures and he makes a pact with them. The sea creatures carry out their pledge and Captain Malo learns much from their wisdom. Rubidjad discovers the Captain has a secret past and a time warp could explain many things.

  THE TREASURE – Book II

  The talk on the island is about a treasure, which may be buried nearby. While living among sea creatures, Captain Malo undergoes a life changing experience and changes his name to Benelo. He realizes that life is precious and humans and animals have the same basic needs - living free and in peace. Wizard Rubidjad’s research confirms that a treasure is buried on the island. He and the sea creatures seek the help of the Captain and his crew. After hope of finding the treasure fades, Providence lends a hand. The riches they seek do not seem as important as the friendship that grows between them.

  THE PROMISE – Book III

  The Captain Benelo sails to the land of humans to carry out the most important mission of his life – to defend and protect sea creatures. Meanwhile, his friends on the island decide to go back in time to the sinking of the Titanic to help rescue passengers. Thanks to Wizard Rubidjad who teleports them, the heroes save many people. Once onboard the Carpathia, the survivors make a promise to the sea creatures. In the land of humans, Captain Benelo meets a young lady, and discovers they share a secret. With the help of Richard O’Barry, a conservationist, the Sea Samurai trio educates the public about the importance of protecting dolphins and whales and ensuring their freedom.

  THE LESSON – Book IV

  The Sea Samurai and crew arrive on Rubidjad Island and learn that baby whale Tolu has disappeared. With the help of a large pod of whales, a search team scours the seas hoping to find her. The wrath of the whales is spurred by the death of Toothless Bob, and the whales declare war on whaling ships. While heading to Newfoundland, the Benelo miraculously finds a plane floating at sea with two conservationists onboard - Jacques Castel, the Sea Explorer, and Steve Dearwin, a crocodile expert. They both join the Sea Samurai in an attempt to stop sealers from taking baby seals from their mothers. At the height of Operation Brigitte, all heads turn to a ship arriving at full speed carrying special passengers.

  DEDICATION

  This series is dedicated to Richard O’Barry and other heroes for their missions to protect dolphins and other wildlife, without forgetting those who care for creatures large and small that brighten our days.

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to Richard O’Barry for his permission to include him in my story. Also to my husband Charles and my sister Mireille for their encouragement, to my daughter Rachelle who will discover herself within, and to many friends — Gilbert Figueroa for his unwavering support, Robert Herring for his advice, Nohemi Meneses for always being there, and especially my dear friend, Ethan Gold, for sending me this story from Heaven.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  The Chronicles Of Rubidjad Island – Book 1: The Rescue

  Book trailer video

  Copyright

  Genre

  The Chronicles Of Rubidjad Island - Synopses

  Dedication

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1 – The Storm

  Chapter 2 – The Island Of Rubidjad

  Chapter 3 – Rémi Disappears

  Chapter 4 – Merielle Gets Helps

  Chapter 5 – Rémi Is Captured

  Chapter 6 – Captain Malo’s Plan

  Chapter 7 – Gathering Clues

  Chapter 8 – Fooling The Captain

  Chapter 9 – The Failed Chase

  Chapter 10 – The Captain’s Weaknesses

  Chapter 11 – The Ingenious Plan

  Chapter 12 – The Rescue Strategy

  Chapter 13 – Rémi Is Freed

  Chapter 14 – Stories For The Captain

  Chapter 15 – The First Lesson

  Chapter 16 – Mysterious Revelations

  Chapter 17 – A Story Is Born

  Notes From The Characters Of The Story

  Testimonials

  The Future Of The Story

  Works By The Author:

  The Chronicles Of Rubidjad Island – Books & Audiobooks

  The Imagical Power Of Etymology

  Reading Babies

  Mold Matters – Solutions And Prevention

  Mold in Green Buildings

  Author Biography

  Connect With Danielle

  Post A Review And Receive An Autograph

  Chapter 1

  The Storm

  Thunder and the sound of cannons rumbled through the air. The night sky was black. The waves were beginning to swell. Rain gave zero visibility. Lightning flashes illuminated the sky to reveal two pirate ships battling each other in the middle of the ocean. The cannon fire created fireworks. Suddenly, a violent streak of lightning struck one of the ships’ masts. A powerful whirlwind encircled the ship with a deafening roar. Then, everything turned black.

  The next moment the sky was blue, the sun was shining, and the water was still. Captain Malo and his crew were ready to fire again but the other ship had vanished. They stared at each other in shock!

  “Avast! What happened?” the Captain shouted. “Where is it? Have we been dreaming?”

  A young pirate answered: “Maybe we’re in heaven!”

  “Nonsense!” shouted the Captain.

&n
bsp; They looked around and saw the damage to their ship. It wasn’t a dream. They had gone through a terrible storm, and they had been battling another ship.

  Captain Malo addressed his crew: “We have a lot of repairs to make. Get to work!”

  He went back to his cabin feeling puzzled and a little frightened. He had never experienced anything so mysterious. Where did the other ship go, he wondered. And what about the whirlwind?

  Captain Malo was unaware his ship had gone through a time warp which had propelled them two hundred years into the future near the Island of Rubidjad.

  ###

  Chapter 2

  The Island Of Rubidjad

  Rubidjad Island was a magical place, unknown to the outside world. Wildlife could come and go as they pleased, but it was accessible to humans only through a secret passageway.

  There, a Wizard named Rubidjad spent his time teaching sea creatures how to speak and read and telling them about the world of humans. Sea creatures came to his library to chat with him, read, make new friends, or to attend other activities.

  Rubidjad was tall, had white hair with a mustache and beard. He wore a purple robe and a pointed hat. He kept a magic wand in his pocket, and a magic wooden staff in his living quarters, but no one ever saw him using either one. He said he preferred to use his head because making things appear or disappear never really solved problems. He always brushed off compliments about his magical powers by saying: “My powers are nothing compared to the powers of our Creator. Once you put a seed in the soil and watch it grow, you understand true magic. Life is magic!”

  Rubidjad was like a loving grandfather, listening and giving advice. He knew about the secret passageway to the outside world and its dangers, and he often reminded sea creatures to avoid the far side of the island.

  He lived in a grotto by the sea on the south side of the island. A sign on the door read ‘Library’ and ‘Come in.’ Inside, thousands of books lined the walls on old wooden shelves. No one paid attention to the cobwebs in the corners.

  His living quarters consisted of one room at the back of the library. It had a few essentials - a small table, a couple of benches, a bed, a stove, and a desk with his crystal ball. He had found a way to magically connect to the Internet through his crystal ball. His large garden and orchard could be seen through his window.

  The library and Rubidjad’s living quarters were quite bright during the day. The ceilings were studded with clear glass bottles filled with water that captured sunlight from above. This solar system was quite efficient. Naturally, as the sun went down the light dimmed, and candles were lit.

  The sea creatures of Rubidjad Island were not ordinary sea creatures. Adults had learned to hover above the ground to move faster, and babies, like baby sea turtles, crawled just like human babies. Seahorses liked to bounce as if they had springs in their tails.

  The small island had its own mountain, surrounded at its foot by a dense forest of exotic trees. Many monkeys lived there peacefully, eating fruits and berries. They normally did not bother sea creatures, except during turtle nesting season. At that time they came down to the sand dunes to try to steal sea turtle eggs after turtles came to nest. In the early morning hours, after frogs stopped their croaking, birds started their symphony of songs. Countless flowers made the island colorful and their fragrance permeated the air, especially in the evening. At night the forest was illuminated by swarms of fireflies, and the sky was crystal clear with myriads of twinkling stars.

  The weather was mild all year round. The golden sand was fine and clean, and the turquoise sea was transparent and pleasantly warm. Beautiful sunsets gave Rubidjad Island a sense of peace, as if nothing could disturb its tranquility.

  Many sea creatures visited the library daily, except for the whales. They were too big to fit through the door, and they were more interested in singing songs than learning to read anyway. Facing the entrance was a large clock on the wall. Sea creatures did not need a clock; they could tell time just by looking at the position of the sun in the sky. However, a clock was more precise, and it was more convenient than having to go outside the library to observe the position of the sun. Below the clock was a calendar. At ten o’clock every day, Rubidjad and his guests invented a story. This special time was called ‘Story Hour.’

  They all sat in a corner of the library around a large colorful world map painted on the floor. Cushions made everyone comfortable. Rubidjad suggested characters for a story and his guests came up with the plot. Then the characters had an adventure. Some characters were given magical powers. Merielle, a mermaid, typed the stories on her typewriter. Then, Rubidjad took a vote to give the story a name. After they all agreed, the final title was written on the book cover. Everyone was proud of the new book.

  On Saturdays, Rubidjad held a matinée where he told stories about humans. Sea creatures were eager to learn about them, so the library was always packed. The mermaids were more familiar with humans because they were accustomed to saving people when ships sank. They kept them from drowning by bringing them to the surface and staying with them until help arrived. Rubidjad had lived among humans so he was an expert on the subject. “There are two main differences between humans and sea or land animals,” he used to say. “Humans are always in a hurry, and they don’t enjoy the moment as animals do.” The creatures thought that humans were very strange.

  Every day four inseparable friends came to the library: Rémi, a dolphin; Max, a sea turtle; Lily, a seahorse; and Merielle. Their friends called them ‘the Bookworms,’ because they were avid readers.

  Rémi was playful and curious. He could whistle and sing in the water and be heard miles away. That is the way he communicated with other sea creatures - with songs. He often raced with his friend, Merielle, to see who could swim the fastest.

  Max was big and wise. Many sea creatures came to him for advice. He was very patient and spoke slowly. His most famous phrase was: “Be patient, my friend, be patient!”

  Lily was very small. She could make herself as tiny as a grain of sand when she wanted to be invisible.

  Merielle was gentle and caring. She had beautiful curly blond hair. She liked to wear necklaces made of seashells or pearls. She and Rémi played together often.

  Once a year, on the first day of July, sea creatures celebrated life by staging an underwater ballet and a play a few hundred yards from shore. It was very popular; many creatures attended the performance, and some came from afar. Merielle and Rémi were the stars of the show because they danced so gracefully.

  ###

  Chapter 3

  Rémi Disappears

  One day, as the Bookworms were leaving the library, Rémi teased Merielle: “Come on, I’ll race you!”

  “Good idea!” replied Merielle, eagerly.

  They waved to Max and Lily as they leapt into the water: “We’ll see you later.”

  “Which way?” asked Merielle.

  “That way,” pointed Rémi. They both disappeared in a flash. They were excellent swimmers. Whenever Rémi leapt out of the water, Merielle would gain a little on him, but then he would quickly catch up.

  They were having such a good time that they did not realize how far they went around the island. Suddenly, as Rémi jumped out of the water he bumped his head on something. He stopped. Wooden planks were floating on the water. Merielle raised her head and swam back to him. “Look at that!” she exclaimed, pointing to the debris. “What’s all this garbage doing here?”

  Rémi looked puzzled. “I don’t know. I just bumped my head on a plank.”

  “Ooh, look at this pretty box!” exclaimed Merielle. “I can keep my necklaces in it.” She opened it and discovered an old, faded map inside. “Hmm, this could be important,” she said. “We’ll ask Rubidjad about it.”

  Rémi pointed to the pieces of wood. “Look, there are letters on them. Let’s take them to Rubidjad; maybe he’ll know what it means. Hold on. I’ll be right back.” He dived down and came back up with seaweed. He t
ied the planks together then Merielle helped him put the load on his back.

  They swam back to the library and went straight to see Rubidjad.

  “Hello, Rubidjad, may we come in?” asked Rémi.

  “Come on in my friends. What do you have there?”

  “We found this debris while racing,” replied Merielle, as she helped Rémi unload the planks onto the table.

  Rubidjad examined the pieces of wood. “This is very interesting. I’ll have to do some research, but these probably came from a shipwreck. Where exactly did you find this wreckage?”

  “We found it on the far side of the island,” replied Rémi.

  Rubidjad admonished them: “I’ve told you many times before to avoid the far side of the island. There is a secret passageway to the outside world. It’s not safe.”

  “Look Rubidjad, I found this pretty box,” pointed out Merielle. “I’ll use it for my jewelry. Here, this was inside.” She handed the map to Rubidjad.

  “Hmm, that’s interesting,” Rubidjad mumbled. “It looks like a treasure map, but the writing looks quite faded. I’ll research that too.”

  The pair said goodbye and left.

  The next day at Story Hour, Merielle noticed that Rémi was absent. It’s odd, she thought, Rémi never misses Story Hour. After it was over, she asked Max and Lily if they had seen him.

  “Yes, I saw him early this morning,” replied Max. “He told me he wanted to see if he could find more treasure. I have no idea what he meant; he left before I could ask him.”

  “Oh, no!” exclaimed Merielle. Without saying another word, she left the library in a hurry, and swam to the far side of the island. She found no sign of Rémi. She swam a little further, and as she came around a reef, she froze in shock. There, motionless, stood a large ship.

  She turned around and swam as fast as she could back to the library. She was afraid something terrible had happened to Rémi. She thought: And that ship,... what was it doing there?

  ###

  Chapter 4

  Merielle Gets Help

  Merielle arrived at the library in tears. She quickly went over to Max and Lily who were still reading. “Please come with me,” she begged, “I need to talk to Rubidjad.”

  The look on Merielle’s face worried Max. He and Lily followed her to Rubidjad’s quarters. He was at his desk, looking at his crystal ball.