Melodie Muses On Camels — It’s A Pressing Question
The Star Protocol by the Marett brothers (Simon and Ramon) is a really cool space adventure — suitable for all ages.
I’m all about the animals
The first time through this book, I read it at breakneck speed. I didn’t mean to, but the story went at that speed and I just had to keep up, so I could find out what happened before it was too late.
But you know how it is when you read really fast, you find yourself wondering if you missed stuff, particularly about animals. I’m all about the animals.
There was so much happening — a chase through the Iraqi desert, the quarry disappearing into an ancient temple, a sudden and unexpected hostage situation … but all this is little more than a sideshow. We’re not in Iraq for long … that temple has a secret (a whopper!) … hunters become quarry, prey become hunters, we (along with the characters) are plunged into unexplored territory, not to mention deep space, without map, compass, or a by your leave.
If you like your stories at full throttle, this one won’t disappoint.
But here’s the thing. Will and Dash (good names! Let me tell you this duo will dash anywhere — see what I did there?) … what was I saying? Yes, Will and Dash. They’re Special Forces officers. They know a thing or two, but I was left with one animal-related question to put to the authors of this book:
Since Dash and Will were Special Forces trained, working in deserts, did they learn to ride camels?
Here’s the answer from the Marett brothers:
Funny you should ask about camels as we happened to have a scene in the book which was eventually cut from the final draft.
It happens at the start. Dash and Will are chasing down a bad guy, unaware they are moments from finding a flying saucer and having a good old fashioned sci-fi adventure.
And then they read me the draft of the scene that never made it into the final version of the book.
Dash scanned the landscape of sand and rock in search of their target. Heat haze rising from the desert floor warped the scenery before him. Seeing no immediate threat Dash glanced over at his Delta Force buddy, Will, who had taken up a prone position.
‘Anything?’ asked Dash. A swig of warm canteen water did little to his dry mouth.
‘Nothin’ but sand and dust,’ Will replied. Dash let out a sigh as he considered the situation. A sigh loud enough not to go unnoticed. ‘We were offered camels,’ Will muttered loud enough for Dash to hear.
‘Yep.’ Dash didn’t want this conversation.
‘Camels would have been helpful right now, wouldn’t they?’
‘Where’s our Spook?’ Dash ignored Will’s comments, instead reminding him they were technically supposed to be escorting an MI6 agent.
‘But ya couldn’t even ride one, couldn’t even sit on it.’
‘Look. The way camels stand up is crazy, you could have warned me.’
A local had brought in a few camels to their staging base for a fresh drink and offered to lend them to the two soldiers and the MI6 agent. It was the smell that put Dash off to begin with. A seasoned trooper, full of experience, but for some reason a rank straw poo aroma, like stepping into stables that hadn’t been cleaned, ever, in the sun, that … that aroma was the start of his hate relationship with the animal. Still, he had mounted the creature …
… and immediately fallen off, as the camel stood.
Much to Will’s amusement.
‘They get up ass first.’ Will laughed. Dash had not prepared himself for the camel to stand via its rear legs first and he had just tumbled over its head. Dash had locked eyes with the camel, intent on intimidating it into submission. The camel spat in Dash’s face.
‘You didn’t see that coming?’ asked Will.
‘Let’s just … ‘
Dash took a breath, got a whiff of straw poo again and finally got moving on the camel. It was a whole five minutes before he got off it again. ‘We’re walking,’ he ordered Will. God be damned he’d be bouncing on the most uncomfortable ride of his life for the next twenty klicks.
‘Wait. Target acquired.’ Will said, bringing Dash back to the present. Will had been double checking the area, magnified through his sniper scope. With a satisfied grin, he gestured towards the ruined ziggurat of Ur.
Vindicated! I knew it
I went back to the book and there isn’t a single mention of a camel anywhere in it, but somehow those camels seeped through the pages and prompted me to ask. And no, it wasn’t the smell that so disturbed Dash that seeped through, the book itself smelled just fine, but despite the speed I read it, the camel vibe caught me.
Melodie Trudeaux Is All About The Animals
That’s why Melodie has homed in on the animal angles of every one of the books she muses on. Melodie Trudeaux is the alter-ego of crime writer, Penny Grubb.
Melodie’s latest, Horse of the Same Colour…
… is a MABLE 2022 spotlight book along with The Star Protocol. Please come and join Melodie and all the other authors at Fantastic Books Publishing’s
It’s free and it’s fun!
