Book Description

by Geoff O'Callaghan ISBN 9781846930324 Published: 2007 Pages: 168 Description Night Walk Terry Anderson is dying from Cystic Fibrosis. His only hope is to have a very rare and difficult organ transplant operation, of lungs, heart, and liver. On the way to the hospital for one of his regular checkups, his ambulance is diverted to pick up a young girl, badly injured in a motorcycle accident. Caroline dies, but her mother donates Caroline's organs to Terry. During the operation, he enters a strange land where an evil "Grim Reaper" and his pet dragon Tharon, terrorise the inhabitants. Caroline is also in this world. Terry goes on a quest to help them by recovering the dragon's breast shield, a powerful mandala. He is joined by Caroline, Bear Slayer, Yogroot, Milander, and Laughing Waters. They have many adventures, including one with the Ice King. Finally, he succeeds in his quest and returns to the real world in the intensive care recovery room. His operation being successful. This story is in the fantasy genre, similar to The never Eding Story, The Wizard of Oz. About the Author Geoff was born in Jersey, then under German occupation, during World War II. Soon after the war, his family moved to Brisbane, Australia. He was educated at All Souls' School, Charters Towers - a rather traditional boarding school after the English style. What knowledge one didn't learn through the ears was well and truly belted in through the rear end, complete with blood blisters. His first contact with the cane was for not running around a sports oval fast enough. He now prides himself on a complete disinterest on sports and knows nothing about cricket. This led to his creative and artistic sides developing. He had a way with words, and was a skilled debater. After secondary school, he took to teaching, graduated, and then obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Aboriginal Education. For the next thirty years, he lived with remote aborigines in the Great Western Desert, firstly as a primary school teacher, and later as a School Principal and Administrator. During this time, he took up writing, mostly short stories and film scripts. It was a good way to while away lonely hours in the desert evenings. The development of miniature computers took his interest, and He wrote to the Department suggesting they take a serious look at the use of Computers in Education. Because of the proximity of a U.S. Sigint facility at Alice Springs, many of the students, especially the American kids, were interested in computing. At first they used Tandy Level Ones and Apples. While very primitive compared to today's machines, Many of the I.T. Community cut their teeth on computing under Geoff's tutelage. They even built a 'Dream 8080' and got it working.