The Beatles stared at the picture of the horrible creature. Finally, Paul spoke. "The Beast of Bodmin Moor? What's that got to do with any of this?"
"Listen." John turned the book so he could see the words better, and began to read aloud.
"'The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a malevolent cougar-like creature that is thought to have originated from Cornwall, England. He has a brown body, pointy ears, talon-like claws, and long, straight-edged fangs. This monster has the ability to suck the soul out of his unsuspecting victims によって breathing through his nostrils, which in turn absorbs it, causing the Beast to become stronger.
"'At one point during the Middle Ages, The Beast of Bodmin Moor terrorized England and its citizens until he was defeated for the first time によって King Richard and his army, who then imprisoned him in an underwater cellar in the River Thames. However, as time goes on, the cellar holding the Beast will become weak and eventually break, and the Beast will escape, ready to create chaos and terrorize the country again.
"'In order to defeat the Beast once and for all, 5 special objects are needed: The Sword of Truth, A Jar of green Marmite Yeast Extract, A Titanium Pound Coin, A Jeweled Crown, and The Orb of Protection and Benevolence. These objects are scattered around England, and whoever can find and unite them all will have the power to destroy the Beast for good."
John finished the passage and set the book down. For a minute, none of the Beatles spoke, taking in what they had just heard. And it was quiet - perhaps too quiet, since in the silence, every little sound seemed like the scraping of those talon-like claws.
Once again, it was Paul who spoke first. "Yeah, but... this thing can't be real, can it?"
George shrugged. "We know something that can suck out people's souls is real."
Ringo involuntarily moved closer to John. "Wish there was some legend that would tell us where those things are. The crown and the sword and all them other stuff."
Three sets of eyes looked hopefully at John, but he just gave them an amused smile. "There's all sorts of legends about swords and crowns and that. It doesn't really help us much."
"There can't be all sorts of legends about green marmite yeast extract," George argued. "That can't be too hard to find."
"But... but..." Paul tried to begin. "How can we need all these things, anyway? How can there really be some Beast in England takin' away everyone's souls!"
"All sorts of things are real that we wouldn't think are real," George told him.
"But not like this!"
John stood up and set down the book with a firm motion that made them both stop. "Only one way to settle this," he said. "Why don't we go down to the Thames and see if a Beast really has escaped from there?"
The other three agreed, though rather nervously. All four suddenly remembered the way the Thames had been 芝居 yesterday, and even though it was a warm, sunny day, they all felt a sudden chill.
The Thames was as glassy as it had been the night before, the sun shining on the waters and making them sparkle. There seemed to be a lot of people around - perhaps the Beatles were not the only ones who had connected the strange behaviour of the Thames to the strange behaviour of all those people who might have ロスト their souls. The Beatles didn't get to ask much about it, though, because everyone who saw them and recognized them was もっと見る interested in getting their autographs than in whatever they'd come here for originally. Several girls kissed them.
But still they figured John couldn't be the only one who had ever heard the legend of the Beast of Bodmin Moor. As the four lads walked along the streets によって the river, George noticed the building from last night - the one with the smashed window. It looked very old and strong, and not like someplace あなた would want to rob. "Unless あなた were a wild beast and didn't know the difference," he 発言しました to his mates.
"But what would a beast want to rob a bank for anyway?" Paul pointed out, reasonably enough.
John 発言しました nothing, just stared at the blur which was how the building looked to him with a thoughtful look on his face.
Ringo had wandered a distance away from his mates, near the edge of the Thames. "Hey, fellows," he called over to them, "come look at this." He sounded a little nervous, so his mates ロスト no time in coming over. The last thing they wanted was for Ringo to get his soul sucked out. That was unthinkable.
Ringo was standing right on the banks of the Thames, where it was all muddy. There was a large imprint in the mud, like the paw print of a wildcat, only bigger. によって each toe print was a long, deep puncture in the earth, like long claws poking their way into the ground. All four Beatles bent down to have a look.
"It looks like it's been prowling round the river," George observed.
"What sort of thing makes prints like that?" breathed Paul.
Silence fell as everyone considered the answer to his words.
John straightened. "Well, men, I think we've seen enough."
"But - " Ringo still sounded nervous, "it looks really fresh, this print. Sort of like - it was just made now...."
And no sooner had he spoken than a loud scream issued from the crowd.
Before the Beatles knew what was happening, they had been enveloped in chaos. Everyone was screaming and running to get away, even those who didn't know what they were trying to get away from. Nobody seemed to be used to running in a crowd, either - they bumped into each other and tripped on those who had tumbled down.
Only the Beatles knew enough about this kind of thing to manage. They expertly wove in and out of people, avoiding the paths with the most panic. They did their best to help other people out of the crowds, too - the young women were the most willing to go with them - but as they neared the front of the surging mass, even those women preferred to アヒル, 鴨 into the nearest buildings, out of sight.
The Beatles ducked into an alleyway. Outside, they could still hear the screams and the pounding of feet. The four lads stood and tried to relax. They hadn't even seen what had scared all those people....
The noises of the crowd gradually faded, and John started to peek around the corner to see if it was safe. But before he could do that, there was a low but distinct growl from the 通り, ストリート outside, paired with a loud snuffling sound.
The Beatles didn't need to speak to each other. They just turned and ran to the other end of the alleyway, which was blocked によって a low fence that the Beatles easily jumped over. But if they could clear that fence, it should be no problem for a Beast of Bodmin Moor....
On the Beatles ran. They could hear the sounds of claws scraping the pavement even over the sounds of their own heavy breath in their ears, but none of them dared to even glance back. Each Beatle was thinking only of keeping his mates' souls 安全, 安全です from that Beast - as well as his own soul. They ran until they found themselves in a small park, with a small amount of trees - maybe not enough to get ロスト in, but the Beatles made for them anyway. Straight into the trees, and then one によって one the boys collapsed against them, hoping this would be enough shelter.
"I still... hear it!" Paul gasped between breaths. "I think... he's coming..."
Ringo reached into the pocket of his suit ジャケット and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
Paul stared at him. "We're about to get our souls sucked out によって a beast and あなた want to have a smoke?"
Ringo shook his head and held the package open. "Maybe if he smells the tobacco, he won't smell us!"
It sounded crazy, but it was worth a try. The Beatles didn't know how much longer they could run, anyway. Everyone took a ciggie that Ringo offered them and lit up.
Through the trees, they could hear padding footsteps, heard the Beast snuffling around. He knew there were humans here somewhere... if he could smell where they'd gone.... The Beatles puffed on their cigarettes and hoped for the best.
But after a few long, agonizing minutes, the footsteps slowly began to 移動する away. Ringo's scheme had worked; the smell of tobacco was so strong that the Beast couldn't smell the humans through it. And luckily, the Beast, who hadn't been out in public since King Richard's time, did not yet seem to realize that the smell of cigarettes usually meant humans, since there had to be a human around smoking the cigarette to begin with.
Four Beatles took long, relieved breaths and put out their ciggies.
"What now?" murmured Ringo.
John looked determined. Paul spoke for him and said, "Now we find them things John told us about and get rid of that thing!" Much as he didn't want to believe it, their close encounter had convinced him that the Beast had to be real.
George frowned. "We don't know where all the things are hidden. Unless John has got some other book that will tell us."
John was smiling. "No," he said, "but think I know where one of them things is."
"Listen." John turned the book so he could see the words better, and began to read aloud.
"'The Beast of Bodmin Moor is a malevolent cougar-like creature that is thought to have originated from Cornwall, England. He has a brown body, pointy ears, talon-like claws, and long, straight-edged fangs. This monster has the ability to suck the soul out of his unsuspecting victims によって breathing through his nostrils, which in turn absorbs it, causing the Beast to become stronger.
"'At one point during the Middle Ages, The Beast of Bodmin Moor terrorized England and its citizens until he was defeated for the first time によって King Richard and his army, who then imprisoned him in an underwater cellar in the River Thames. However, as time goes on, the cellar holding the Beast will become weak and eventually break, and the Beast will escape, ready to create chaos and terrorize the country again.
"'In order to defeat the Beast once and for all, 5 special objects are needed: The Sword of Truth, A Jar of green Marmite Yeast Extract, A Titanium Pound Coin, A Jeweled Crown, and The Orb of Protection and Benevolence. These objects are scattered around England, and whoever can find and unite them all will have the power to destroy the Beast for good."
John finished the passage and set the book down. For a minute, none of the Beatles spoke, taking in what they had just heard. And it was quiet - perhaps too quiet, since in the silence, every little sound seemed like the scraping of those talon-like claws.
Once again, it was Paul who spoke first. "Yeah, but... this thing can't be real, can it?"
George shrugged. "We know something that can suck out people's souls is real."
Ringo involuntarily moved closer to John. "Wish there was some legend that would tell us where those things are. The crown and the sword and all them other stuff."
Three sets of eyes looked hopefully at John, but he just gave them an amused smile. "There's all sorts of legends about swords and crowns and that. It doesn't really help us much."
"There can't be all sorts of legends about green marmite yeast extract," George argued. "That can't be too hard to find."
"But... but..." Paul tried to begin. "How can we need all these things, anyway? How can there really be some Beast in England takin' away everyone's souls!"
"All sorts of things are real that we wouldn't think are real," George told him.
"But not like this!"
John stood up and set down the book with a firm motion that made them both stop. "Only one way to settle this," he said. "Why don't we go down to the Thames and see if a Beast really has escaped from there?"
The other three agreed, though rather nervously. All four suddenly remembered the way the Thames had been 芝居 yesterday, and even though it was a warm, sunny day, they all felt a sudden chill.
The Thames was as glassy as it had been the night before, the sun shining on the waters and making them sparkle. There seemed to be a lot of people around - perhaps the Beatles were not the only ones who had connected the strange behaviour of the Thames to the strange behaviour of all those people who might have ロスト their souls. The Beatles didn't get to ask much about it, though, because everyone who saw them and recognized them was もっと見る interested in getting their autographs than in whatever they'd come here for originally. Several girls kissed them.
But still they figured John couldn't be the only one who had ever heard the legend of the Beast of Bodmin Moor. As the four lads walked along the streets によって the river, George noticed the building from last night - the one with the smashed window. It looked very old and strong, and not like someplace あなた would want to rob. "Unless あなた were a wild beast and didn't know the difference," he 発言しました to his mates.
"But what would a beast want to rob a bank for anyway?" Paul pointed out, reasonably enough.
John 発言しました nothing, just stared at the blur which was how the building looked to him with a thoughtful look on his face.
Ringo had wandered a distance away from his mates, near the edge of the Thames. "Hey, fellows," he called over to them, "come look at this." He sounded a little nervous, so his mates ロスト no time in coming over. The last thing they wanted was for Ringo to get his soul sucked out. That was unthinkable.
Ringo was standing right on the banks of the Thames, where it was all muddy. There was a large imprint in the mud, like the paw print of a wildcat, only bigger. によって each toe print was a long, deep puncture in the earth, like long claws poking their way into the ground. All four Beatles bent down to have a look.
"It looks like it's been prowling round the river," George observed.
"What sort of thing makes prints like that?" breathed Paul.
Silence fell as everyone considered the answer to his words.
John straightened. "Well, men, I think we've seen enough."
"But - " Ringo still sounded nervous, "it looks really fresh, this print. Sort of like - it was just made now...."
And no sooner had he spoken than a loud scream issued from the crowd.
Before the Beatles knew what was happening, they had been enveloped in chaos. Everyone was screaming and running to get away, even those who didn't know what they were trying to get away from. Nobody seemed to be used to running in a crowd, either - they bumped into each other and tripped on those who had tumbled down.
Only the Beatles knew enough about this kind of thing to manage. They expertly wove in and out of people, avoiding the paths with the most panic. They did their best to help other people out of the crowds, too - the young women were the most willing to go with them - but as they neared the front of the surging mass, even those women preferred to アヒル, 鴨 into the nearest buildings, out of sight.
The Beatles ducked into an alleyway. Outside, they could still hear the screams and the pounding of feet. The four lads stood and tried to relax. They hadn't even seen what had scared all those people....
The noises of the crowd gradually faded, and John started to peek around the corner to see if it was safe. But before he could do that, there was a low but distinct growl from the 通り, ストリート outside, paired with a loud snuffling sound.
The Beatles didn't need to speak to each other. They just turned and ran to the other end of the alleyway, which was blocked によって a low fence that the Beatles easily jumped over. But if they could clear that fence, it should be no problem for a Beast of Bodmin Moor....
On the Beatles ran. They could hear the sounds of claws scraping the pavement even over the sounds of their own heavy breath in their ears, but none of them dared to even glance back. Each Beatle was thinking only of keeping his mates' souls 安全, 安全です from that Beast - as well as his own soul. They ran until they found themselves in a small park, with a small amount of trees - maybe not enough to get ロスト in, but the Beatles made for them anyway. Straight into the trees, and then one によって one the boys collapsed against them, hoping this would be enough shelter.
"I still... hear it!" Paul gasped between breaths. "I think... he's coming..."
Ringo reached into the pocket of his suit ジャケット and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
Paul stared at him. "We're about to get our souls sucked out によって a beast and あなた want to have a smoke?"
Ringo shook his head and held the package open. "Maybe if he smells the tobacco, he won't smell us!"
It sounded crazy, but it was worth a try. The Beatles didn't know how much longer they could run, anyway. Everyone took a ciggie that Ringo offered them and lit up.
Through the trees, they could hear padding footsteps, heard the Beast snuffling around. He knew there were humans here somewhere... if he could smell where they'd gone.... The Beatles puffed on their cigarettes and hoped for the best.
But after a few long, agonizing minutes, the footsteps slowly began to 移動する away. Ringo's scheme had worked; the smell of tobacco was so strong that the Beast couldn't smell the humans through it. And luckily, the Beast, who hadn't been out in public since King Richard's time, did not yet seem to realize that the smell of cigarettes usually meant humans, since there had to be a human around smoking the cigarette to begin with.
Four Beatles took long, relieved breaths and put out their ciggies.
"What now?" murmured Ringo.
John looked determined. Paul spoke for him and said, "Now we find them things John told us about and get rid of that thing!" Much as he didn't want to believe it, their close encounter had convinced him that the Beast had to be real.
George frowned. "We don't know where all the things are hidden. Unless John has got some other book that will tell us."
John was smiling. "No," he said, "but think I know where one of them things is."