Writing, and a new Horatio

I'm in a writing mood. There's a science fiction short in the pipeline (more, er, shortly), and I'm long overdue for a new Horatio. So here's a new Horatio. Unfinished. I'll be finishing and sending it sometime in the next few weeks.

Horatio goes on Holiday

Horatio knew about London: he'd read all about it in books, and loved to hear his Mum and Dad's stories about them living in London when they were younger (although as far as Horatio knew, they had always been old, and had always been just his Mum and Dad). And Horatio really really wanted to go to London, to see all the places that his Mum and Dad talked about, to listen to Big Ben strike twelve o'clock and to see Nelson and all his pigeons (which Mum told him were very much like seagulls really) in Trafalgar Square.
Horatio's family had been on holiday before: lots of holidays. They'd camped in Kingslime one Easter - it was very crowded and they were stuck in the harbour for quite a long time while they waited for the tide to come it. They'd stayed on a holiday berth in Starboard Harbour and marvelled at the huge crumbly cliffs then eaten ice-creams by the beach in Curdsmouth. And he'd even been on a school trip to Goodwater Bay. And all these holidays were really really nice. But Horatio wanted to go to London. He wasn't sure why, but it just sounded exciting. And he asked. And he asked. And he stopped asking. And then asked again. Until one sunny speckly day when the birds were singing happily, the waves had little bright diamonds in them and the breeze was just warm enough to be summer, his Dad grinned and said "pack your things Horatio, we're going to London".
Well the journey to London is another story in itself: sailing around the White Island, wriggling into the mud in Chichemeddle, playing with the pier at Sunnytown and steering around the big big ferries coming out of Guller. But that's a story for another day, so we'll start with the part where Horatio and his Mum and Dad, his little brother Hardy and Parsley the tender passed the grey navy pontoons (which hooted a low-voiced 'hello there' as they passed) in the middle of London and sailed into Katherine's Docks.
[Horatio is on an exchange visit with one of the tuktuks. He goes on trips up the river with his parents, sees Big Ben and Parliament and the naval colleges, goes to look up at the buildings in Canary Wharf and chats to the tin-voiced Navigator, but what's really really exciting is when he's loaded onto a trailer and goes slowly round London with his new friend Tuk and Tuk's parents the taxis (he goes really quite slowly because he gets a little queasy when he can't move naturally). He sails in the water in Trafalgar Square, upsetting the pigeons til they calm down and settle back on the top of Nelson's head. He goes to the park and plays with the pedaloes on the Serpentine, but is a bit sad that Tuk can't join him, then has an idea and races Tuk up and down the length of the lake until they're quite tired and the park-keeper chases them away. Then he has tea with Tuk's parents, and Tuk's grandfather the red bus, before going back to the docks tired but happy. The next day, he has an adventure on the part of the canal that Tuk's allowed along and sees the strange red and yellow boats with lots and lots of roofs. And he holidays a bit more with his family before finally going home. Which isn't really the end, because a month or two later, Tuk's family come to the White Island for a holiday too, and all go on a sightseeing tour with Bryan the Ferry before Tuk is loaded onto Horatio's Dad's shoulders and gets to go on the water himself.]

Horatio's Big Day

This one was written 6th July 2005 for my eldest nephew. It has pictures, even...

Horatio’s Big Day

Everyone was busy on the Sloop family mooring. Horatio’s Mum was tidying the jetty, and Horatio’s Dad was cutting the weed from the piles and wiping some oil smudges off his hull, because Horatio’s Grandma Yawl and Grandad Ketch were coming to visit.
Horatio was excited because today he was allowed to go out as far as the old brick fort to meet them. ‘Bye Mum’, ‘Bye Dad’ he called, and sailed off down the creek.

…and saw his friend Sam and Sam’s mum coming towards him very very slowly. ‘Hi Sam’ shouted Horatio, and Sam went a little bit red, then a little bit redder, then something very very red and wobbly slid across his cockpit and Sam keeled over and almost capsized…

… but Horatio hauled in his sheets to make himself go faster, dashed forwards and caught Sam by his rigging just in time. ‘Close thing’ said Horatio as he helped Sam’s mum put him upright again. ‘What are you doing with that jelly on your deck?’. Sam went red again and muttered ‘learning to sail very slowly and carefully’ before concentrating so hard on the jelly that Horatio couldn’t talk to him again before they passed each other (port side to port side, of course).

Horatio carried on sailing out towards the entrance to Cow Creek, carefully keeping out of the shipping lane so the big boats didn’t collide with him. ‘That’s funny’ he thought. ‘Why are all the happy boats wearing hats and blowing whistles?’ The happy boats were the little boats that weren’t quite big enough to go out without a grown-up yet. ‘Maybe they’re having a play day at the nursery’ thought Horatio as he rounded the harbour wall…

…and nearly bumped into his Grandma Schooner. ‘Good afternoon Horatio’ said his Grandma. ‘And how are we today?’ ‘Why are all the happy boats wearing hats?’ asked Horatio, who hadn’t quite got the hang of answering grown-up questions yet. Grandma paused for a second. ‘Because it’s hot and they don’t want to get sunburnt’ she answered. ‘And blowing whistles?’ ‘Because they might get lost, and the whistles help the grownups to find them’. Grandma made a very strange clinking sound. ‘Oh, my stays’ she said ‘I must get my baggywrinkes replaced’ and dashed off towards the harbour.

Horatio had reached the old brick fort, so he let his sails fly and waited for Grandad and Grandma Ketch to arrive. But the day was just getting stranger and stranger. Something pink and yellow and purple was heading towards Horatio along the coast of White Island. It came closer… and closer… and closer… until it turned into George and Sally Jetski, each towing a big big bunch of pink and yellow and purple balloons. ‘Hello’ brmmed Sally. ‘Helllo’ brmmed George. ‘Hello’ flapped Horatio, who was starting to get a little suspicious about this very strange day. ‘Where are you going with those balloons?’

‘Errrrm…. We’re just playyyinggg’ brmmed George. ‘Yes, playing’ brrred Sally, and she went round and round and round in circles to show Horatio how close to the water she could get the balloons.

… and got so excited that she let go of the string! “Eeek!” cried Sally. “Whoops” went George, and “Oh dear” said Horatio…

…and caught the runaway balloons in his big billowing jib. ‘Thank you’ brmmmed George and Sally together (because they were twins, you know), and ‘Oh, there’s Grandad’, and off they went at a slightly more cautious pace. Brmmmm… brmmmm… brmmm… Horatio filled his jib again, went about to watch Bryan the Ferry hoot hello as he went into the harbour, and thought that since it was such a strange day, he wouldn’t even think about why Brian had a big white box tied across his stern.

‘Hello Tacker’ said a friendly voice. Horatio went about again and saw his Grandad Ketch and Grandma Yawl sailing towards him. Grandma Yawl had the biggest cake Horatio had ever seen on her aft deck, and Grandad Ketch was letting off little things that threw lots of paper streamers all over the water. ‘Have you guessed why we’re here yet?’ said Grandma. ‘Well’, said Horatio. ‘Jelly, and hats, and whistles, and balloons, and cakes and streamers. Is it a party? Am I invited?’

‘I hope so’, laughed Grandma Yawl, ‘it’s your birthday party’. ‘Happy Birthday Horatio’ shouted Grandpa, who was very excited. And they all sailed back to the visitor’s moorings by the ferry terminal, and everyone ate sandwiches, and Sam’s big red jelly, and Grandma Yawl’s cake, and Bryan the Ferry’s ice cream, and drank Grandma Schooner’s lemonade, and wore silly hats and blew whistles, and held balloons (except Sally, who lost hers again), and let off streamers all over the water, and everyone had a thoroughly joyful time and went to bed tired but happy that evening.

Happy Birthday Horatio!