Otherland Revealed

By Graham South

OTHERLAND REVEALED
... sequel to Graham South’s Peculiar ... A Story of Otherland.
The wonderland of Karst Mountains in Guilin, China and the caves within them are a famous tourist attraction. A team of British explorers descend on the city in search of long extinct giant dinosaurs, which supposedly dwell in one of the huge unexplored caves. They discover several spectacular caves – all previously unknown. Are the Sauropods living there? What other wonders are to be found and are the Guilin caves the long-lost Otherland?
Their astonishing discoveries will change our understanding of the survival of the dinosaurs and the evolution of modern humans.

A provocative and intriguing merger of fantasy and reality!

• Language: English
• Publisher: CUSTOM BOOK PUBLICATIONS
• Release date: Feb 25, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370044047

Book preview

OTHERLAND REVEALED

… sequel to Graham South’s Peculiar … A Story of Otherland.

The wonderland of Karst Mountains in Guilin, China and the caves within them are a famous tourist attraction. A team of British explorers descend on the city in search of long extinct giant dinosaurs, which supposedly dwell in one of the huge unexplored caves. They discover several spectacular caves – all previously unknown. Are the Sauropods living there? What other wonders are to be found and are the Guilin caves the long-lost Otherland?

Their astonishing discoveries will change our understanding of the survival of the dinosaurs and the evolution of modern humans.

A provocative and intriguing merger of fantasy and reality!

Peculiar … A Story of Otherland.

Rodney is a superb artist, able to produce realistic sketches of people from memory. It is his art that supports him on his journey through life. He knows from an early age that he is different – or as his sister Wendy puts it – he is peculiar.

When sixteen, he and his friends, Ches and David, are unwittingly catapulted into the fantasy world of Otherland – a place where everyone is somehow different from real life. They survive the experience but can they now succeed in real life and find their proper niche in society.

A brilliant mix … similarly challenging and intriguing!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

GRAHAM SOUTH

Born in Norfolk, England, the author graduated from the University of Liverpool UK and for more than forty years pursued a successful career as a marine scientist in Canada, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands and Australia. He served as Editor or a member of the Editorial Board of several international scientific journals and served as a leader in science policy and education worldwide. He now lives in Queensland, Australia where he is pursuing his love of creative writing and traditional botanical art using watercolours and focusing on tropical flora.

Copyright © 2017 Graham Robin South

Published by

Asia’s Print & Digital Publisher

CUSTOM BOOK PUBLICATIONS

All the characters are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental

OTHERLAND

REVEALED

A sequel to

Peculiar … A Story of Otherland

By

Graham South

ONE

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It was mid-June when Dr. David Smith and his team touched down at Beijing Capital International Airport. Oppressive heat and the acrid air assaulted their nostrils as they stepped off the British Airways Airbus 380 at Terminal Three. It was early morning and they had spent more than ten hours in their direct flight from Heathrow. Thanks to their Kuwaiti sponsors they travelled Business Class and this had certainly softened the impact of the flying time and eight-hour time change.

David’s team had brought most of the camping and cooking gear that Ches and Nancy had carefully assembled. Their cell phones did attract attention, although these days the Chinese were just as sophisticated as any with smart phones. David’s satellite phone was closely examined, but passed muster. Otherwise their belongings were straight-forward items to pass through customs and quarantine, and they had a detailed list for perusal by the officers. Consequently, it took just an hour to collect their baggage and pass through immigration; it was six thirty in the morning by the time they reached Arrivals.

David was Head of Palaeontology at the Natural History Museum in London. Accompanying him was Rodney Short, his brother-in-law and artist in residence at the NHM; his brother Kent, Rodney’s partner; a freelance journalist, Ches Brown, Rodney’s best friend, and Nancy, Ches’ wife. The team had been assembled in haste at the request of Dr. Cant Jones, a well-known caver who had spent considerable time exploring caves in southern China. He assembled the main exploration team, with sponsorship of the Chinese Government. David’s was a counterpart team to the one assembled by Cant. The nature of this trip was such that the additional expertise in David’s team was essential to properly record their results. Together they would be exploring some remarkable caves in Guilin, south-eastern China. The whole area was of great interest to the Chinese government since for many years they had recognised the enormous tourist value of the caves.

David had selected his team carefully and favoured people who he could trust implicitly, and who had the right mix of skills to match those of the cavers. David’s expertise with the Palaeocene and its fauna was legendary; Rodney was an artist of international acclaim; Kent, a well-known freelance foreign correspondent had all the skills to record their findings in both words and images. Ches and Nancy were experts in camping and all the logistical support both teams would need; they had taken leave from their work as tour guides in Namibia’s national parks. Furthermore, Rodney and Ches had previously accompanied David in a remarkable adventure some twenty years previously, where they had discovered Otherland, with its incredible prehistoric creatures. They feared that their earlier experiences would be written off by many as fantasy, and as they felt nobody would believe their adventures in Otherland, they had preferred to keep it under wraps. That is, until Cant showed David some unbelievable laser-generated images from their last expedition to Guilin of what appeared to be dinosaurs in one of the unexplored large caverns.

A young Chinese woman ushered them into a VIP lounge. Quin-li was tall, in her early-thirties, and spoke impeccable English; by any measure she was quite beautiful, but at the same time she had a certain strength about her. She introduced herself as a representative of the China National Tourism Association, based in their office in Guang-Xi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Her task was to accompany David’s and Cant’s teams during their exploration of the caves, to act as a liaison with her government, and to provide any assistance they might need. While her job focus was tourism, it emerged that she had been educated in many related subjects, including geology. Quin-li was also an accomplished caver, and had accompanied Cant’s team during their trip to Guilin the previous year.

As they settled in the VIP lounge, they were served green tea from a large copper pot, with some light snacks on willow-pattern china plates. Ches and Nancy, who usually claimed to eat most food on offer, winced when they tasted the Guilin pickled tofu, which was laced with a strong Guilin chilli sauce, a local speciality. Quin-li smiled when she saw their reaction. ‘The Guilin pickled tofu is an important national dish,’ she remarked. ‘The Guilin Chilli Sauce one of the Three Treasures of our City. Don’t worry, you will get acclimatized to it during your stay.’

Nancy, her mouth still smarting, blushed shyly. The other members of David’s team discretely opted to avoid the tofu dish.

They chatted while waiting for Cant; his team was being sponsored by the Chinese Government to fly with China Airlines, and would not arrive until a couple of hours after David’s group. One of the Chinese staff employed to look after the VIP lounge set up a power point show of Guilin and its surroundings. Although they had all checked out the various websites on the region, the spectacular scenery on display was amazing. The city was nestled along the banks of the winding Li River valley with a backdrop of the most incredible, steep mountains that any of them had seen. It had an air of a scene from J.R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth, a city located among pointed ranks of karst mountain ranges that were at once primitive, primeval almost, with slopes and peaks that appeared to be very challenging. Quin-li could see the awe on their faces, there was little anywhere in the world that could equal the site. ‘I will be telling you all more about Guilin City once Cant has arrived, so as I don’t have to repeat myself,’ she said.

While they were waiting, David took time to call home to let his wife Wendy know that they had arrived safely. It had been agreed ahead of their departure that Wendy would be the messenger for them all; including the NHM. David removed the Intel Extreme 9575 from its new leather carry case and switched it on. He had pre-charged it at home before departure. The screen was small compared with that of his smart phone, but it did have lighting that would enable it to be read even in sunlight. After a suitable warm-up, he dialled Wendy’s cell phone. He heard the dial tone and ringing, and positioned himself so that the antenna would be in the best position for reception.

‘Hello.’ Wendy’s voice sounded a bit tentative.

‘It’s David, I’m calling from Beijing. Is the line clear?’

‘Wonderful, it sounds like you are next door. How are you, darling?’

‘We’re all fine, the flight was great in Business Class. Cant and his team haven’t arrived yet, but will be here soon. Are the children alright?’

‘We’re all fine, but missing you already.’

‘Missing you all too. Can you let everyone know we arrived safely?’

‘Yes, will do.’

‘Alright dear, I’ll sign off as we are about to have a briefing from the Chinese. I’ll call you once we reach Guilin. Love you, and take care.’

David ended the call and went back to the lounge. Cant and his group had just arrived and were greeting one another. Beneath Cant’s welcoming smiles David sensed something was wrong, and approached him to find out what it might be. ‘How was your flight, Cant?’ he asked.

‘The flight was alright, but not much else. We’ve been held up in customs, and they still have to release our equipment. Getting some kind of explanation is impossible, they hide behind language barriers although I know that many can speak passable English, just as I can speak passable Cantonese.’

‘I thought your Chinese-speaking team member was meant to help out with these sorts of things,’ David remarked.

Cant said, ‘Theoretically, but not much progress so far. I will raise this during our briefing session.’

At Quin-li’s request the two teams took their seats in preparation for the briefing session. There was a small commotion at the door, and Quin-li was summoned to greet the guest of honour. A portly middle-aged gentleman was ushered in, together with a small cohort of assistants, several of whom were women. Jiang Huan was a senior official from Tourism and it was his pleasure to welcome the visitors. He did not speak English, but his comments were translated by one of the women, who had a rather high pitched voice; she read from a script that had been prepared in advance.

She translated, ‘On behalf of the Guang-Xi-Zhuang Autonomous Region, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China, it is my pleasure to welcome you,’ Jiang Huan said, pausing as the girl translated his words into English. He continued, ‘You are in the good hands of my staff who will accompany you to Guilin City and to our magnificent caves. They are one of the top tourist attractions in our country. We wish you all success with your visit.’

With the welcome speech concluded, everyone applauded, including Jiang Huan and his party in typical Chinese fashion. At this signal two waitresses entered, carrying trays of drinks. ‘You must join with our guest in a toast,’ Quin-li whispered in David’s ear.

The drinks were top quality single malt Scotch whisky obviously a great luxury in their honour. Once the drinks were distributed everyone raised their glasses and sipped the strong drink. Nancy gagged, she was a non-drinker but was unable to pull out of the ceremony. Most of the Chinese swigged the whole of their glass, aware that they would soon be replenished. Following that the waiters circulated with a new bottle of Scotch, generously refilling glasses as they went. In expected protocol, Cant raised his glass for a reciprocal toast, and then David did the same. By that time the initial burning in his throat had become a warm glow, soothing his nerves at the same time. Quin-li realised that it was time for the welcome to conclude; otherwise it would rapidly turn into a party.

At Quin-li’s request, Cant went to the podium. He thanked Jiang Huan and the Government of the PRC for making the visit possible, and for their kind sponsorship of their air travel and other logistics. He then introduced his team, starting with the Government Representative and senior scientist Professor Cho Ling, two expert spelunkers Margaret Woods and Dick Cheney, and technical expert Bob Marsden.

He explained that Professor Cho Ling was a geologist specialising in the exploration of the caves and other karst formations at Guilin. Cho Ling bowed his head politely during this introduction, and smiled to reveal a jumble of teeth which looked like a separate karst formation worthy of study. Margaret Woods was a middle-aged woman with a strong body and kind face, her dark hair drawn back. She was a fluent Chinese speaker and would be the team’s main interpreter when needed. Dick Cheney was younger, in his mid-forties and obviously very athletic. His curly black hair was cut short, but his beard was long and rambling to make up the lack of hair on top. He had penetrating blue eyes and a somewhat restless action which suggested that he would be a leader in any cave situations requiring strength and skill. He was a medical doctor and was as much a rock climber as a spelunker.

Bob Marsden was expert at most things technical, and the main operator of their laser equipment which was key to the success of their expedition. Together with the laser he was in charge of computers and communications. He was rather lanky in appearance, preferring to wear khaki clothing fitted with many pockets. His sandy hair was unkempt, rather too long, but he was clean-shaven. David and his team took an instant liking to Bob.

David followed by introducing his team, and each of them said a few words about their expertise and role in the expedition. They spoke in measured sentences in deference to the several other Chinese in the room, realising that Quin-li would have no difficulty in understanding and providing the Chinese interpretation. Quin-li said that she was very happy to welcome them to China. She knew Cant well from his previous expeditions, and it was the government’s hope that their expedition would enable them to open new caves for the benefit of the tourism industry. She said that David’s team would bring a whole new angle to the exploration. She added that she was a spelunker herself, and that she was looking forward to seeing new aspects of the Guilin caves under their expert guidance.

Following these formalities Jiang Huan and his party circulated among the groups and shook hands with everyone. They then discreetly left the room to head off to some other engagement elsewhere in Beijing and perhaps some more enjoyable toasting.

Cant decided that the time was appropriate to raise the issue of their equipment being held up by customs. He pointed out that their expedition would be hampered if they had to wait too long for clearance. Quin-li quickly intervened, expressing her regrets about the hold up. She spoke with Professor Cho Ling quietly on the side.

She then said, ‘The authorities are a little worried about the laser equipment. Please understand that this is something new to our scientists, and customs has requested two days to examine it to confirm that it is intended for peaceful purposes, and that it poses no danger.’

‘That’s unacceptable Quin-li, we brought similar equipment here last year and it was cleared by customs then,’ Cant remarked.

‘Of course, Dr. Jones, we are aware of that. There is now the question of subsequent modification…’

‘Please!’ Cant said, his voice rising in protest.

‘Your laser equipment will be released the day after tomorrow. Please relax, Dr. Jones. By the time you have transferred to Guilin City and have familiarised yourselves with the area your equipment will be delivered,’ Said Quin-li with a smile enough to melt even the most recalcitrant scientist.

Cant leaned towards David and whispered, ‘That will be long enough for them to dismantle it, photograph every component and reassemble it. You can expect them to be rolling off one of their technical factories within months.’

David smirked in reply; no doubt there was more than an element of truth in Cant’s analysis. Obviously, there was no point in getting too excited; otherwise suspicions might be raised.

Quin-li took the floor; it was time for her to fill everyone in with details of Guilin City, the base for their operations over the next few weeks. Ches remarked later that her narrative read rather closely to the text in the Wikipedia entry for Guilin City but then, as David pointed out, it was probably she who had written it.

Before starting Qin-li apologised to Cant and some of his team who were already familiar with the city and its spectacular surroundings, and who had heard earlier versions of the account from previous visits. Cant acknowledged her, and smiled happily, as there was nothing he more enjoyed than watching that beautiful woman in action.

Quin-li spoke with a well-practised tone to her voice, one that immediately drew attention to her narrative. She used a different power point presentation from the one previously shown.

Quin-li began by saying that the earliest known settlement on the banks of the Li River began in 314 BC. It was during the Qin Dynasty from 221-201 BC when campaigns were launched against the Nanyue, that the first administration was established at Guilin. She said that most historians agreed that the real beginning of Guilin was in 111 BC; the city was re-named Guizhou in 507 AD. The city prospered in the Fang and Song dynasties; it became a nexus between the central government and the southwest border of the Empire. Canals built through the city allowed the transport of food supplies from the fertile Yangtze plain.

In 1921 Guilin became one of the headquarters of the Northern Expeditionary Army led by Dr. Sun Yat-sen. The city formally acquired its present name in 1940. The name means Forest of Sweet Osmanthus.

‘Can you tell us something about Osmanthus? Nancy asked.

‘Of course,’ Quin-li replied. ‘Osmanthus is a shrub, and it is very important to the Chinese culture. Its flowers are lightly perfumed and are used here and throughout East Asia- the perfume is rather like apricot or peach. We like to add the flowers to black tea or green tea. It’s also used in traditional medicine, as it improves the complexion and helps rid the body of scars; it contains nitric oxide; it helps to prevent diabetes and renal disease. Oh, and Osmanthus rice wine is popular in our mid-Autumn festival.’

‘Thank you,’ Nancy said. ‘Is there any Osmanthus near the hotel we will be staying at in Guilin?’

‘There certainly is,’ Quin-li replied. ‘The hotel is in a botanical garden, so you should take time to look for it, and the many tropical plants there. The morning is always the best time, before it gets too hot.’

Quin-li said that the importance of Guilin as a place of historical and cultural inheritance stems from 1981, when it and three other cities – Beijing, Hangzhou and Suzhou – were given priority as places for the protection of historical and cultural heritage, as well as natural scenery. At this point, Quin-li ran through the same series of spectacular scenery images they had seen earlier in the morning. To say the least, they were breathtaking. Ches and Nancy spoke quietly saying that the above-ground features of the area looked as worthy of exploration as the caves. Quin-li smiled and said a tour of the area could be arranged once their underground work was complete.

‘The topography of the area is dominated by karst formations. Important hills and mountains include Diccai Hill, Elephant Trunk Hill, Wave-Subduing Hill, Lipu Mountains, and Kitten Mountain, which is the highest peak of Guangxi, and Yao Hill. Gems of the area include the Reed Flute Cave, and the Seven Star Cave,’ Cant clapped his hands and agreed that they were indeed gems of the area, and that they hoped to visit them as part of their tour.

Kent was busy writing notes on his pad during the talk and asked whether any of the scenic images could be made available. Quin-li said the government was only too pleased to provide images, since Kent’s reports about the expedition would provide valuable publicity for the local tourism industry. Kent had been pre-advised that his copy would need to be approved by the PRC Government before release, and he had no problems with this as it would be a way of ensuring that he correctly rendered Chinese names.

Continuing her talk, Quin-li stated that the population of Guilin City was almost a million people, with a total of 4.7 million in the general area. Everyone expressed surprise at the numbers, but Quin-li pointed out that much of the area was mountainous and that most of these areas were uninhabited. She said that there are five degree-granting universities in the city, and a number of other educational institutions. Professor Cho Ling spoke about the universities during their visit and said that Dr. Jones and Dr. Smith and any others of their group would be welcome to visit them if desired. David and Cant nodded in acknowledgement. Rodney asked if there was a school of fine art in Guilin. Cho Ling replied that there was no such school in Guilin, and gifted students would enrol in the Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts.

After more talk, they were all beginning to suffer from the impact of the flight and the time change. Quin-li recognised this, she pulled out her cell phone and called the drivers taking them to a Beijing hotel where they would spend the night. ‘Tomorrow we will take the train at seven-thirty am for the journey to Guilin. Your hotel tonight and the train tickets are courtesy of the government, so please relax,’ she said.

Moments later a team of porters arrived and collected everyone’s baggage. After thanking Quin-li for her help they filed out onto two waiting mini-vans, and boarded as their luggage was being loaded in the rear luggage trailers. David and Cant took advantage of the chance to sit on the same mini-bus, so they could catch up with plans.

After the overnight stay in Beijing they were transported to Beijing West railway station, where they were booked for the early morning departure on the high-speed train to Guilin. There were large crowds of passengers lining up at the airline-style security check and passport control. Their guide for the day was unable to enter the departure area, so it was up to their Chinese counterparts to help move the substantial luggage to the train. Despite the crowds everything went relatively smoothly. The station was vast and had been built relatively recently. The air was filled with the aroma of noodles, and