Tuesday, April 27, 2021

The State of Things in General...

Howdy you Truly Adventurous Souls!


Well, I'm going to tell you straight up how it is.  We've been pretty lucky, I guess, as far as the Coronavirus.  Nobody in my household, nor in my extended family seems to have gotten hit by it.  I know a few of my former co-workers have not been so lucky in that regard.  And now, of course, a lot of things are supposed to be opening up here in Las Vegas.

However, my Mother already had other health problems, and the lockdowns have possibly worsened her condition more than we thought.  A few doctor appointments and we find out that she really ought to have several tests and at least one operation.  These appointments, and general housekeeping/caretaking duties are going to seriously affect my time.

As a result of this, I only have one more story prepared for Serial Saturdays.  The next story is a space opera about Bradley Brackett, recycled from the old Abandoned Towers serial.  Once this story is finished, I will be stopping Serial Saturdays for the indefinite future.  But I will be continuing the regularly scheduled blog posts.  

In a few months, this barrage of doctor appointments, tests, and operations should be finished, and we'll see how my situation is.  My writing time is going to diminish, and I really ought to concentrate on items to sell rather than things to feature for free here on the blog.  I would like to resume the serials in the future, but we'll have to wait and see.

I am working on some stories which I was hoping to publish to the kindle in a few more months, hopefully I won't have to push back their release.  

Anyway, that's what is going on with me.  It's not exactly the adventure I was hoping for, but we are expecting a happy ending.  Thank you for your patience, understanding, and good wishes!  With luck, the next post will be more fun!


Until then, I wish you all...

Good Adventuring!
Timothy A. Sayell

Saturday, April 24, 2021

Wrath of the Volcano God Part Eight

 



 



WRATH OF THE VOLCANO GOD
A Pulp Adventure

Part Eight

The Kazooli stared, awestruck as Carlsbad crossed the narrow outcropping to the main floor, the Heart of Tiki-Taki in his hands.

Hokumba raised his hands in praise.  With both his body and voice atremble, he shouted out a decree that echoed in the wide the chamber.  Without hesitation, the Kazooli warriors knelt in reverence.  Nearby warriors seized Lewis and Bethany and forced them prostrate as well. 

"What now?" Bethany cried as the natives forced her onto the floor. 

Sarah, watching from behind a column, offered an answer.  "They seem to think the Professor is somehow favored by the Volcano God, since there was no obvious sign of displeasure when he seized the Heart!" 

Struggling in the grip of two Kazooli warriors, Lewis glared up at the Professor as he stepped off the narrow rock bridge.  "You'll never get away with this, Everard!" he snarled.  "Not if I have anything to say about it!" 

Carlsbad smiled down at him.  "Sorry, old boy, I'm afraid you haven't anything to say about...well, anything ever again!  Now that the Kazooli have recognized my authority, I think we'll all repair to their encampment where you three can be the VIPs in their sacrifice ceremony!  Yes, I think that would be a fitting end to your careers!" 

The Professor jabbed one finger toward the floor and the two warriors pushed Lewis' head down.  Lewis frowned down at the stone ground, his nose only a few short inches above a red stick.  His frown changed from one of anger to one of amazement as he realized what he was staring down at.  He took a deep breath, his muscles relaxed, and in turn the natives relaxed their grip on him. 

Lewis lashed out to grab the dynamite, but one Kazooli seized his wrist, tried to pull his hand away.  The sudden move sent the red stick spinning across the floor, it slammed against the edge of the rock bridge, twirled about a yard into the air and plopped into the glowing lava.  After what seemed like a long moment, it slipped beneath the surface. 

Meanwhile, the warriors pulled Lewis to his feet, a sharpened stone was pressed against his throat.  

Carlsbad stood over him and gloated.  "An admirable attempt, and I can't blame you for trying.  However, it seems that your luck has run out!" 

Somewhere beneath the surface of the churning lava, there was a muffled Pop.  Then, the mountain rumbled all around them.  Members of the expedition and natives looked around with wary eyes.  Then, in the middle of the lake, a stream of lava burst into the air like a waterspout.  The surface began to ripple and bubble with ferocity. 

Hokumba pointed at the sign from their deity and issued a new announcement.  Sarah translated:  "Now he says Tiki-Taki is displeased, that the thief must be killed to avert his wrath!" 

As per their new instruction, the natives abandoned Bethany, threw Lewis aside, and turned all their attention--and their weapons--upon Professor Everard Carlsbad.  They advanced with a slow and menacing gait with their stone daggers and their spears ready to distribute the Volcano God's divine punishment. 

The mountain rumbled again, and the chamber shook around them.  "Mr. Clark!  Miss Gale!  This way, hurry!" Sarah called to her companions.  Ignored by the natives, they slipped through the mob and joined her behind the pillars.  She showed them the side passage that Klugman had used moments earlier and fled down it, leaving the greedy Professor to his fate. 

"What are you doing?" Carlsbad cried as the natives closed in on him.  "Keep away!  I am the favored of Tiki-Taki!"  He held out the Heart to emphasize his claim.  

Regardless of his protestations, the Kazoolis continued to close in on him.  Carlsbad stepped out on the rock bridge, still protesting as they prodded their spears toward him.  He stumbled back, his foot missed the narrow outcropping, and with a frightful scream he fell into the boiling lava.  

So, too, did the Heart of Tiki-Taki.

As if in disapproval, the mountain rumbled again.  Hokumba ordered his warriors to evacuate, and hoped it was not too late.  Rocks and dust rained down from above as they charged through the entry hall and out through the skull in the side of the mountain.

*  *  *

Lewis, Bethany and Sarah ran through the twisting cavern.  Ahead, they saw daylight streaming in from an unseen opening around a corner.  It was at that corner that the walls sparkled and winked in the light.  As they approached the tur.n, Bethany skidded to a stop to investigate. 

"These...look like...diamonds!" she exclaimed as she scratched at one of the winking rocks embedded in the wall.  "Uncut diamonds!" 

Before the others could comment, the mountain rumbled again.  The ceiling collapsed behind them, dumping a barricade of rubble between them and the altar room.  They coughed and waved away the dust, then Lewis choked, "Forget about ém!" and waved his companions on. 

They rounded the corner and found the exit a few yards ahead.  Sprinting forward, they burst from the cave onto a sandy beach lined with thick jungle foliage on one side.  High above them, the volcano exploded with a spout of fiery wrath that began its steady march down the steep mountainside. 

"What do we do now?" Sarah whined. 

"We keep moving!  Come on!" Lewis told them.  He turned and saw Igor Klugman emerge from the jungle, and take a few steps onto the beach, his revolver still in his hand. 

"You again?" Bethany growled. 

"Igor, we've no time for this!" Lewis announced.  "Carlsbad is at the mercy of the Kazoolis, and the volcano is erupting!  We've got to get off this island!  Now!" 

The brute glared at them and shook his heavy head.  He plucked a small pouch from his belt and tossed it to Bethany's feet.  The rugged adventuress picked it up, untied the cord and looked inside.  "Diamonds!" she exclaimed, "Raw diamonds, from the cave!" 

They looked up at the large man with quizzical expressions, he responded with a scowl and one thick digit pointing back at the cave mouth. 

"I...I think he wants us to dig out some more diamonds!" Lewis said, astounded. 

"Are you crazy?!" Sarah shouted at him, "We're not going back there to die for a handful of diamonds!" 

With a growl, he fired a shot into the sand at her feet, and she jumped back with a shriek. 

But another growl emanated from the verdant jungle foliage.  A heartbeat later, a great orange blur shot through the air with a vicious roar and the one-eyed tiger pounced upon the armed man.  Klugman fell to the sand where he rolled and wrestled against the striped jungle cat, assailed by fangs and teeth. 

Above them, the lava continued to roll down the mountain, and would soon marched across the beach.  Lewis looked longingly out at the wide ocean and spied a hearty sandbar just a few hundred feet offshore. 

"Come on, time to swim!" he said as he pulled the industrialist's daughter into the oncoming surf, with Bethany right behind. 

The trio swam out to the tiny islet and watched as the lava crawled across the sand, into the jungle, and into the ocean.  

"Well, this is it," Bethany glumly conceded.  "We'll never get out of this." 

Lewis scanned the horizon for some inspiration.  Somewhere in the distance, he thought he heard a familiar sound.  "Do you hear something?" 

"Like what?" Sarah asked. 

Suddenly, a familiar yellow plane emerged from the mountains.  

"It's the Golden Goose!" Lewis exclaimed.  "But how...?" 

"Who cares!" Bethany said.  "Just wave it down so we can get out of here!" 

They jumped and waved at the plane as it passed over them once, then cheered as it circled back.  The plane landed in the water and drifted to a stop beside them.  Without hesitation, they climbed aboard. 

"Is that everybody?" Ethan called back from the pilot seat. 

"Clap!" Lewis exclaimed as he rushed to the cockpit.  Upon seeing his friend, he wrapped his arms around him.  

Bethany and Sarah were right behind him.  "How'd you do it?" Bethany asked. 

Ethan shrugged.  "I landed in the river," he said.  "I had the map, the compass, and the parts I salvaged from the derelict.  So I thought it best to get back to the Goose and start the repairs." 

"Lucky for us that you did!" Sarah said. 

"Clap!  You've no idea how glad I am to see you!" Lewis told him. 

The pilot pushed him away.  "Hey, not so fast!  You let me fall off that bridge in the first place!  I'm not talkin' to you!"  But he said it with a smile. 

"Whatever you say, Clap!" Lewis told him.  "I'm just glad you're alive!" 

Ethan pulled back on the stick, started the plane forward.  He flipped some switches, adjusted his throttle and took off into the sky. 

"What about that fella Johnson?  Or Carlsbad?  Klugman?" the pilot inquired.

"They didn't make it," Sarah announced gravely. 

"Oh," Ethan replied.  "Well...what about the big jewel?"

Lewis considered it for a minute.  "I guess the Kazoolis got it back from Everard," he said at last.  "Otherwise, it must've been in that temple when the volcano erupted.  It could be buried forever." 

"You mean we came all this way for nothing?" Ethan whined.

"Not at all!" Sarah exclaimed.  "I got several pictures!  And notes about the entire expedition!  It should make a marvelous thesis!" 

Bethany checked her pockets, pulled out a small pouch.  She untied the drawstring and dumped out a small collection of uncut gems.  "We do have Klugman's raw diamonds!"

"That should make a decent contribution to the science department at Munsey University!" Lewis mused. 

"After our expenses, I hope!" Ethan said as he guided the plane over the clouds.  "I've still got to get some proper parts for this bird!"

Lewis smiled back at him.  "At least she can fly us home, Clap!  At least she can fly us home!"

To Be Continued...


Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Danger Island

 Hail and well met! I offer a Toast And Salute for your timely return!


So, I was trying to track down an old Matinee serial from 1931 called "Danger Island".  Couldn't find it.  Turns out it is considered one of several "lost" serial talkies who have at least one chapter's reel of sound or audio deteriorated beyond salvage.  This is sad, but not really the subject of our little discussion today.

You see, during my research I found another "Danger Island", a live-action cliffhanger serial produced by--now get this--Hanna-Barbera!

You read that correctly!  Back in, like, 1968 I think it was, Hanna-Barbera produced "The Banana Splitz Adventure Hour", hosted by live action costume versions of their cartoon bubblegum rock band, the Banana Splitz!  

I used to watch reruns of this show way back in my misspent youth, but I can't really remember much about the show.  Ok, I don't really remember anything about the show.  I remember the Banana Splitz, they were kinda like sport mascots or Disneyland characters.  And I remember about two lines from their theme song, "The Tra-La-La Song".  

Apparently they hosted different cartoons and performed little sketches on the show.  From what I've been reading online, it was intended as a "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In" style show, with lots of short clips edited together, but directed at small children.  But I have to take their word on this, cuz I don't really don't remember.

Anyway, one of the regular features was a cliffhanger serial called "Danger Island"!  It was shown in five minute episodes over about 35 episodes of the Banana Splitz.  And some stalwart fellow on YouTube has edited all these episodes together into a movie that's two hours and twenty minutes long!

Well, of course I watched it!

This thing is totally a Hanna-Barbera adventure cartoon done in live action!  It's VERY Johnny Quest-esque, with some moments of frivolous cartoon slapstick for the kids.  Hoo-boy!

So, there's Dr. Irwin Hayden, out on a boat looking for relics to help prove his theory that the Egyptians and the Phoenicians were somehow connected to the Aztecs.  He is on a boat "somewhere in the South Pacific" with his teenage daughter, Lesley, and his young assistant, Link.  By the way, this guy Link is played by a young fellow named Micheal Vincent, who would go on to become Jan-Micheal Vincent, probably best known from the TV show "Airwolf"!  Of course, he was also in the movie "Damnation Alley".  ...He is also the ONLY actor I recognized in the whole show!

Dr. Hayden's brother disappeared somewhere in this area of the Pacific, just a few short years ago.  He was searching for the Lost City of Tabana, to prove the whole ancient civilization theory.  

Unfortunately, our heroes are beset by a rather inept group of pirates, who believe they are hiding treasure and can lead them to even more.  Shenanigans ensue and our hapless heroes get stranded on an island where they are befriended by Morgan and Chongo, who have been castaways here ever since they were betrayed by the same pirates over a year prior.  They all team up.

Hot on the trail of Dr. Hayden's missing brother, they find a map that should lead them to the Lost City!  However, they are chased by pirates, three different tribes of natives, lions, leopards, and crocodiles, oh my!  

Overall, the story wasn't bad, but you can tell that it was written to entertain very small children.  The concept may have been inspired by things like Johnny Quest, but our three main characters together are not as competent of Johnny's dog, Bandit!  In fact, if they hadn't hooked up with Morgan, they would never have made it!  Chongo is the weird/comic relief character, he cannot speak and communicates solely through bird calls, animal sounds, and other assorted noises, like many cartoon characters before him.  I'm not gonna lie, it quickly got kinda annoying.

I didn't actually look it up, but I have NO trouble believing that this was cooked up by the same writers who worked on things like Johnny Quest and Scooby-Doo.  Even the music was stock stuff that I recognized from Johnny Quest and the Herculoids.  I was surprised to see that it was directed by none other than Richard Donner!  Yes, the SAME Richard Donner who directed Christopher Reeve in "Superman"!  The same Richard Donner who directed "The Goonies", "Ladyhawke", "Maverick", and the "Lethal Weapon" series!  Hey, he hadn't done any of those yet and ya gotta start someplace!

I know I sound really negative, but I don't mean to.  I realize that I no longer fit into the demographic that was the intended audience.  And again, the story wasn't BAD, just...juvenile.

Again, I know I used to watch the Banana Splits when I was a kid, and I don't remember this at all.  Now I've watched the whole thing, and I still don't remember seeing it before!  ...I don't know, maybe I was better off!

If you are interested in seeing it, all the individual five-minutes episodes appear to be on YouTube.  And, as I said, some brave soul edited them all together into a single feature nearly two-and-a-half hours long (I watched in two installments...I just had to!).  A simple search will find it.  I don't know of anywhere to watch entire episodes of the Banana Splitz, sorry!

I'll try to find something I like better to talk about next time!

Until then, I wish you all...

Good Adventuring!
Timothy A. Sayell

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Wrath of the Volcano God Part Seven

 



 



WRATH OF THE VOLCANO GOD
A Pulp Adventure

Part Seven

Carlsbad flexed his fingers around the handle of the revolver as he pointed the barrel at Lewis Clark.  "You've arrived just in time," the Professor proclaimed, "I was about to venture down this narrow walkway over the lake of molten rock to retrieve the Heart of Tiki-Taki..."  He flashed a wicked grin.  "But now you can retrieve it for me!" 

With a wave of the gun, he urged Lewis to edge of the precipice.  The walkway was a narrow rock bridge and as it stretched out before him he was reminded of the time he was forced to walk the plank on the long-lost pirate ship, the One-Eyed Jacqueline.  The primary difference was that this was not meant to be a one-way trip, though this fact offered him little hope. 

The revolver prodded him in the shoulder.  "Don't dally, now," Carlsbad growled. 

Lewis drew in a fortifying breath, took his first tentative step.  The walkway was scarcely wider than his sturdy hiking boot.  Holding his arms out to steady himself, steam rising from the liquid rock just below, he gathered all his nerve to pull his other foot onto the bridge, abandoning the wide floor. 

At that moment, Nyfu leapt into the large room, his arms flailing as he spat out a stream of angry words.  Carlsbad turned and his gun barked in reply, a sound that echoed in the vast hall in the volcano.  Nyfu recoiled, staggered back, dropped his knife, and pressed both hands against the hole above his belly.  

The native slammed his back against the wall, pulled one hand from his wound and saw it was red with blood.  With hate-filled eyes he looked up at Carlsbad, then turned and staggered back down the hall, one hand leaving a bloody streak on the wall all the way to the Temple entrance.  He tried to call down to his fellows, but could only cough instead.  Nyfu fell out of the skull's mouth and tumbled down the Temple steps. 

His tribesmen surrounded him, and Hokumba lifted him up from where he landed.  The Witch Doctor called the brave warrior's name, but earned no response.  In that moment he knew the young warrior was dead, and it started a wellspring inside him, one that filled his heart with grief, and anger. 

Hokumba held the dead warrior in his arms, but looked up at the terrible visage that was the Temple of the Volcano God.  It was in that moment of despair that he commanded his warriors to seek out vengeance:  "Bree-yark!"

The cry was taken up by the rest of the Kazooli warriors as they raised their spears and knives.  With a rallying cry, Hokumba stood and led his warriors up the Temple steps.

*  *  *

The Kazooli warrior staggered back toward the entrance, leaving the university expedition to Carlsbad and his hulking brute, Klugman.  But the warrior caused all the distraction that Wayne needed.  He slyly slipped out a stick of dynamite, lit the fuse and chucked it toward the lava. 

Carlsbad reached up and snatched it out of the air.  "An admirable attempt, Mr. Johnson," he cooed.  He dared not pull the revolver away from Lewis, so instead he raised the dynamite to his lips, seized the long fuse in his teeth, and pulled the stick away.  He spat the burning string to the stone floor as he held the red stick aloft.  "Too bad it didn't work."  Then he waved Lewis to continue after the jewel. 

Suddenly, the vast chamber was filled with the growing echoes of Kazooli war cries.  The air was filled with whoops, hollering, and repeated cries of "Bree-yark!"  A spear shot through the doorway and impaled Wayne in the chest.  He called out in surprise and pain as he slammed against the wall and slid down to the floor. 

"What..." was all Carlsbad managed to ask before Lewis leapt at him and let his fist fly.  He nailed the Professor in the jaw, causing him to drop the gun and the dynamite.  Both clattered to the floor and were kicked back and forth as the two traded punches.

Then the Kazoolis burst into the room, their clubs, knives, and spears waving wildly in search of bloody vengeance.  His eyes widening at this new development, Igor held the industrialist's short daughter before him, though she made a poor human shield.  He stretched out his gun-arm and fired at the incoming mob.  Once, twice, three times!  Kazooli warriors fell to the floor, but more filed in from the entrance hall. 

Spears and knives flew past them and Sarah panicked.  She buried her teeth into Klugman's beefy arm and stomped on his foot with all the strength she could muster.  With a small cry he released her to shake the pain away and she jumped aside. 

Bethany stood her ground as one warrior charged her.  He held his spear overhead in both hands as he screamed his approach.  She reached up and grabbed his spear with both hands.  The two pushed and pulled, circling as each tried to pull the weapon away from the other.  Finally, with a swift kick to his shin, Bethany won the stick and swept him aside when she smacked him upside the head with it.  But there was no time to reflect on this small victory as more warriors flooded into the room. 

The Kazoolis closed in on Lewis and Carlsbad, who were forced to interrupt their brawl to the fight the natives instead.  Carlsbad slugged one as Lewis decked another, but these warriors were instantly replaced.  Carlsbad leapt behind Lewis, who found himself fending off three natives at once.

Unperturbed by this, Carlsbad's steely gaze scoured the stone floor.  They were hopelessly outnumbered and he knew a surefire way to level the odds.  Then he found it:  his revolver had been kicked out onto the narrow stone walkway.  But some miracle it had not fallen into the lake of lava, but instead came to rest about halfway to the pedestal. 

Using Lewis Clark as a defensive buffer, Carlsbad stepped out onto the narrow bridge of rock.  A few steps and he had reached the gun.  He stretched out one leg for balance, bent over and plucked it from where it lay.  Then he stood up and saw the great ruby only a few short steps before him.

Suddenly free of Klugman's grasp, Sarah stood dumbfounded in the midst of the battle.  A native charged her with a knife held high and she screamed.  Then, there was a thundercrack and the native warrior stumbled and fell to her feet, a gaping bloody wound in his back.  She looked up and saw Wayne on the other side of the room.  He was slumped on the floor with the spear sprouting out of his chest, but his gun was pointed in her direction until he raised the barrel and blew the smoke away. 

Then Sarah realized there was a sudden movement to her side.  Turning, she saw Igor Klugman scrambling for cover behind a pillar.  She rushed after him and hid behind another one.  Screams echoed in the wide chamber.  Spears and knives flew through the air with reckless abandon.  Occasionally, Klugman would lean around his column to fire some bullets into the fray.

He ducked back behind his cover and glared at Sarah.  Then he turned, looked in the other direction.  Sarah saw his stance relax, then he turned back at her.  He gave one appraising glance at the battle, once last look back at her, then turned and scurried out an archway in the stone wall behind him.  

Lewis was fighting off natives left and right.  He knocked two more out cold when the shot rang out and sped past him.  It hit its mark and another native fell against him on his way to the floor.  Lewis looked down at the bullet hole in the body and looked up to find Wayne looking his way, smoking gun in hand.  Lewis offered a nod in appreciation.

Wayne's gun-hand fell to the stony floor, but his free hand reached up, grazed the brim of his hat.  That hand, too, fell to the floor, and his body slumped heavily against the wall.  The light in his eyes burned out and the warmth left his cheeks.  Just like that, the cowboy had run his last round-up. 

Lewis saw it, too.  But there was no time to grieve, because that was the moment that the Kazooli Witch Doctor cried out.  At his exclamation, all the warriors paused in their fight to turn and stare.  Lewis turned, too, to see what had caused such a stir.

Everard Carlsbad had reached the pedestal out in the lake of lava.  With greedy hands, he plucked the great gem from the pedestal.  Then he turned, regarding the collective with a gloatful grin, and held the Heart high aloft.

To Be Continued...


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