My Brilliant Brains

By Jonathan Raftery

A rollicking rollercoaster ride of the most eminent scientist of all Barandium. His genius is matched only by his arrogance. Join Felipe Nostaramus, chief philosopher to the mad king, as he wrestles with levitating plants, an army of cats and the end of the world. Will he stay sane long enough to finish his cheese sandwich and glass of port?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jonathan Raftery
• Release date: Jun 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458117984

Jonathan Raftery

A simple man trying to make his way in the world.

Book preview

My Brilliant Brains

The Prophecy of Barandium

Book Two

by Jonathan Raftery

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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PUBLISHED BY:

Jonathan Raftery on Smashwords

Megan's Odd Adventure

The Prophecy of Barandium

Book Two

Copyright © 2008, 2011 by Jonathan Raftery

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Introduction

Allow myself to introduce myself.

I am Felipe Nostaramus, and I am the most eminent scientist in all Barandium.

In terms of sheer intellectual ability you could probably think of me as an intellectual elephant. By comparison, the average professor is like a small bird balanced on my back, and the average person is like a tiny flea perched on the back of the bird.

In fact, if brains were food then I would no doubt be a huge lavish feast. Grouse, vegetables, pork, you name it, my intellect covers it. By comparison the average person's intellect is like a scrap of stale bread, washed down with dishwater.

If I were clothes then I would be a suit made of golden thread, with a diamond encrusted cape and a crown bedazzled with precious jewels. In stark contrast, the average person is dressed in rags, stained by food, and smelling of dung.

By now you must get the message, dear reader. I am in possession of brilliant brains so let us both being clear on that. I am also a superb writer; nobody can use words like what I does. That is why I felt compelled to commit my deeds to paper, lest they become lost in time.

So that brings us to the purpose of this document. You hold in your grateful hands the journal of the last twelve months of a brilliant scientist. It was a year of astounding experiments, fantastic ideas, and wonderful achievements.

But most of all it was a year where I was fortunate enough to meet a most unusual visitor. A girl, her age barely into double figures, who revealed to me knowledge that sent my studies in a completely new direction. She left as quickly as she had arrived, and our meeting was barely more than an hour in length, but in that time I was corrected on a number mistakes I was about to make. Yes, even I am capable of that!

So this manuscript is dedicated to you, Megan, wherever you may be. There's nothing more true than that which comes from the mouth of a child.

Chapter 1

January. A surprise visitor

January was never my favourite month. Too cold, too much snow and too much drunken revelry left over from Christmas to contend with.

As a learned scholar, the reader will not be surprised to hear that I, Felipe Nostaramus, am inclined to involve myself in more thoughtful pursuits. Scientific experiments, alchemy, the arts, and so on. And it was one of these pursuits, plant breeding using magic that I was busy working on when the surprise visitor arrived at the doors of my house. There had been many visitors this week. The heavy snow that had been falling over recent days always brought them to my door. They always begged for warm food and shelter, and I always told them I would bring some at once, before locking the door to leave them to their fate. How I laughed as I watched them shivering in the cold from the comfort of my lovely warm house, the pathetic wretches!

Normally I would turn away those who interrupt important work. Indeed I am known for dealing with beggar boys and vagrants by introducing them to the sharp end of my umbrella.

But on that fateful morning I found myself standing before a visitor that could not be turned away so easily. That morning I found myself standing before none other than his majesty the king himself, Simon Bowell.

Your majesty! I had stammered, This is an unexpected honour!

The royal visitor looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. He always seemed to have that particular expression, no matter what the business.

Of course his royal highness would not venture to this part of town without a sizeable guard, and sure enough he was flanked on both sides by a troop of rather brutish looking gorilla guards. I winced as the scary creatures looked me over to see if I was to be viewed as a potential threat. Luckily they as obviously found that I wasn't worth bothering around as they soon lost interest. The cheek of them! I wield my umbrella like a rapier, as many local beggar boys will doubtless testify!

There was a cough from behind the king. Like a thunderbolt I suddenly realised