In Shapeworld there were no people, only geometrical Shapes. Once Shapism was a real problem in that unusual world. Each geometrical figure was convinced it was superior to all others, Squares despising Circles and so on. Terrible rivalry and rudeness were just a normal part of Shapelife in those early, troubled years. The behaviour went on and on.
Bad times can change. In Shapworld they did. The bravery of The Irregular Shape one remarkable day, brought about that change. He rescued the Square Queen and Princess Diagonal in their collapsed castle after an earthquake, and saved a kingdom from great distress.
This spectacular deed changed Shapelife remarkably. Suddenly Shapes came to realise actions are more important than appearance. The odd, previously shunned outsider, The Irregular Shape, a despised and feared figure, was responsible for this. Shapism thus disappeared and the air everywhere was filled with kindness, love and cooperation.
Life danced happily on. And on. And on. It was good to be a Shape alive.
Until, in this the second book in the series, something ghastly happened. The Guzzledirt was invented. The Guzzledirt? What was it? Why was this such a terrible thing?
Why, it was a brilliant, revolutionary vehicle – a Shapeworld changing invention. You see, the whole point was the engine of the Guzzledirt ran on dirt. Yes, dirt. This was astonishingly cheap fuel. Cheap, dirt cheap.
But the consequences were terrible. In a fulminating flash, dirt became precious like gold. Even more – like lonsdaleite. But what do you think this led to?
Diggers sprang out of nowhere. Suddenly holes began to appear in Shapeworld everywhere. Children's playgrounds began to turn into great, ugly holes. So too did sports ovals, forests, tennis courts and even old schoolyards.
Worse still, other dirt engines were invented, in a range from washing machines to Shapehairdressers' razors and Shapeinfants' toothbrushes. So many cheap engines revving and revving. More bad things began to happen. Disaster was in the air.
Can you imagine, for example, the Guzzledirt traffic jams on the highways and byways? More and more of these cheap, disastrous, dirt-driven inventions flooded that world. Engine factories sprang up throughout Mega City, for example, constantly followed by deep, dark cavities in the Shapeground all around them.
Now not all Shapes were in favour of what was happening. Some of the true Shapethinkers began to notice new dangers arising with each morning sun. These thinking Shapestars became active and made plans to help Shapeworld. Some of them were arrested and confined to sinister, shadowy prisons. But many fought on. They found a place on the tallest of mountains that was free of the noise of engines and the dangerous fumes that arose from them. A sanctuary.
In this our second story, the leader of this Shapegroup is the former hero of the Shapeworld earthquake. He has changed his name to Oddsbodkins, just to be less snobbish. As these wise Shapes fled the city to their high, mountain refuge, many creatures seem to understand the wisdom and followed.
The makers of Guzzledirts in contrast were very satisfied with things. More! More! More was their catch cry! And so the destruction continued. It was a sly, creeping thing this destruction. It did not announce itself. It took secret forms that only thinking Shapes seemed to recognise.
It was hidden in the air, in the sea, in the rivers and their banks, in the forests, in the sky, in the wind. All this is what followed the invention of the Guzzledirt. Something shocking was eventually bound to happen.
What this was will astonish you if you are a fool. If you have learned to reason however, to check the evidence around you, you will probably not be astonished by THE GUZZLEDIRT EFFECT. You will, nevertheless, at least be possibly a little surprised. You will need the rest of the story to find out why.
Bad times can change. In Shapworld they did. The bravery of The Irregular Shape one remarkable day, brought about that change. He rescued the Square Queen and Princess Diagonal in their collapsed castle after an earthquake, and saved a kingdom from great distress.
This spectacular deed changed Shapelife remarkably. Suddenly Shapes came to realise actions are more important than appearance. The odd, previously shunned outsider, The Irregular Shape, a despised and feared figure, was responsible for this. Shapism thus disappeared and the air everywhere was filled with kindness, love and cooperation.
Life danced happily on. And on. And on. It was good to be a Shape alive.
Until, in this the second book in the series, something ghastly happened. The Guzzledirt was invented. The Guzzledirt? What was it? Why was this such a terrible thing?
Why, it was a brilliant, revolutionary vehicle – a Shapeworld changing invention. You see, the whole point was the engine of the Guzzledirt ran on dirt. Yes, dirt. This was astonishingly cheap fuel. Cheap, dirt cheap.
But the consequences were terrible. In a fulminating flash, dirt became precious like gold. Even more – like lonsdaleite. But what do you think this led to?
Diggers sprang out of nowhere. Suddenly holes began to appear in Shapeworld everywhere. Children's playgrounds began to turn into great, ugly holes. So too did sports ovals, forests, tennis courts and even old schoolyards.
Worse still, other dirt engines were invented, in a range from washing machines to Shapehairdressers' razors and Shapeinfants' toothbrushes. So many cheap engines revving and revving. More bad things began to happen. Disaster was in the air.
Can you imagine, for example, the Guzzledirt traffic jams on the highways and byways? More and more of these cheap, disastrous, dirt-driven inventions flooded that world. Engine factories sprang up throughout Mega City, for example, constantly followed by deep, dark cavities in the Shapeground all around them.
Now not all Shapes were in favour of what was happening. Some of the true Shapethinkers began to notice new dangers arising with each morning sun. These thinking Shapestars became active and made plans to help Shapeworld. Some of them were arrested and confined to sinister, shadowy prisons. But many fought on. They found a place on the tallest of mountains that was free of the noise of engines and the dangerous fumes that arose from them. A sanctuary.
In this our second story, the leader of this Shapegroup is the former hero of the Shapeworld earthquake. He has changed his name to Oddsbodkins, just to be less snobbish. As these wise Shapes fled the city to their high, mountain refuge, many creatures seem to understand the wisdom and followed.
The makers of Guzzledirts in contrast were very satisfied with things. More! More! More was their catch cry! And so the destruction continued. It was a sly, creeping thing this destruction. It did not announce itself. It took secret forms that only thinking Shapes seemed to recognise.
It was hidden in the air, in the sea, in the rivers and their banks, in the forests, in the sky, in the wind. All this is what followed the invention of the Guzzledirt. Something shocking was eventually bound to happen.
What this was will astonish you if you are a fool. If you have learned to reason however, to check the evidence around you, you will probably not be astonished by THE GUZZLEDIRT EFFECT. You will, nevertheless, at least be possibly a little surprised. You will need the rest of the story to find out why.
