A Writer's Week #31: So, What's This Book About?

Okay, let's get the statistics out of the way so that I can get to the main event. I had another great writing week. I hit my goal of 2,000 words, which is great. That puts me at 179 pages and 40,000 words. Yay, another milestone! The story has been coming pretty easily for the last month or so.

I thought that this week, I would give up some details about the sequel to The Deliverers: Sharky and the Jewel or The Deliverers 2 as I have been calling it until I can come up with something better. In this book, Eric & Co. have been given an Assignment to stop a civil war. One side has a machine that adds lion genes to people. If they live through the process, they take on some of the abilities of the animal. These people are used as soldiers and bodyguards. They're also classed as second class citizens--less than human.

Other animals were also combined with people and other animals to a lesser extent. Three of the characters that Eric, Kate, Hallo and Stig meet have been altered. Max, Cyril (Cy) and Chunk have been altered. I really like these guys, particularly Cy & Chunk who are a little bit Abbot and Costello-ish. So, here's an excerpt featuring  these three with some support from Stig. They're trying to track down Eric, Kate & Hallo in the ancient sewers of Vynistra City.

They rushed around the corner. The pack of wolfrats was taken completely by surprise as Chunk, Cy and Max started throwing immobilizers at them. Many were frozen in their tracks by the glowing green balls. Stig added to the beasts’ confusion by darting in and pecking at them with his beak.

Chunk started sweeping the wolfrats aside with large, powerful strokes of his arms, trying to clear a path to the ladder leading up to the hatch. Cy and Max began firing their laser rifles. Stig continued his aerial assault.

The onslaught was too much for the wolfrats. They broke and fled, their whimpering reverberating down the chamber.

“Well, we seem to have sorted that lot out quite nicely,” Stig said. “Those immobilizers are frightfully effective.”

“Yeah, they do the job all right,” Cy agreed. “Like I always say, ya won’t have no trouble in the sewers as long as ya got enough immobilizers.”

“Okay, now we gotta get up this ladder and inta the palace before they get brave and decide ta come back,” Max said. ”Cy, why don’t ya get up there and open the hatch.”

“Ya got it, Max,” Cy said and scrambled up the ladder. He tried turning the wheel on the hatch, but it would not budge. “It aint workin’, Max. They must’ve locked it up good an’ tight.”

“All right, Cy. Get down here, we’ll hafta think of somethin’ else.”

Cy climbed down, and they all thought over the situation. Suddenly, Chunk’s face brightened. “Hey Cy, we gotta get through the hatch, right?”

“That’s right, Chunk, we gotta get through the hatch,” Cy said.

“We can’t open it, ‘cause it’s locked, right?”

“Hey, you’re followin’ along pretty good,” Cy said. To Stig, Cy said, “It usually takes him a little longer ta get stuff like this.”

“And we aint got no key or nuthin’, right?”

“Right.”

“Uh, so what we need, is somethin’ big that can give that hatch a push, right?”

“Right again,” Cy said. “Where do ya think we can find somethin’ like that?”

“Well, I was kinda thinkin’ I could try an’ bash the top off.”

“Say, that’s real smart, Chunk. Why don’t ya try it?”

Chunk’s face lit up with a huge smile. He nodded, and climbed up the ladder. He rapped a meaty fist on the hatch lid a couple of times.

Cy called up to him. “What do ya think?”

“It feels kinda thin, Cy. Shouldn’t be too much trouble.”

Chunk’s soft rapping suddenly became a loud pounding as he swung his fist. Stig saw that with each punch, the metal moved and expanded, like a potter pounding clay. Soon, with a loud wrenching noise, the hatch popped up and open.

Chunk lumbered up and out, followed by Cy and Max. Stig flew up after them.

Cy and Max were both thumping Chunk on the back and smiling.

“I say, well done, Chunk,” Stig said.

“Ya did good Chunk,” Max said.

“Yeah,” Cy agreed. “And ya came up with the idea all by yourself. You’re gettin’ downright brainy, Chunk.”

Chunk smiled and blushed a little. “It weren’t nothin’. I only done what came natural.”