In Search of the Time and Space Mach

by Deborah Abela

  ‘Well, so far, in the short time we’ve been in London, we’ve managed to spook the people in Francis’s building, freak-out the receptionist in the Department of Science and New Technologies. And when we were leaving there, I got the feeling that someone was looking at us.’

  ‘You really have seen too many spy films,’ said Max. ‘We’ve got the perfect cover. We’re kids. Why would anyone think we were up to anything funny?’

  ‘I guess you’re right,’ Linden said, not really convinced. But he told himself Max knew what she was talking about. They were just kids. The perfect cover, like she said.

  Max looked down at the address the receptionist had given her: Hartfield School, Salisbury Road, Bleechgrove E7.

  ‘This must be where she works.’

  Linden frowned.

  ‘But she used to be the head of an important Government department. What would she be doing working at a school?’

  Max took the London A-Z from her backpack as they made their way to the nearest Underground station.

  ‘I don’t know, but we’re about to find out.’

  Alex Crane clung to the roof of the high-speed luxury train and adjusted the earpiece of her Micro Descrambler Watch, listening for what was coming next. Inside was the brilliant Madame Des Arbres, the self-made billionairess, who owned the largest multinational botanical company in the world, and was in the middle of a very secret, high-level meeting with her henchmen regarding the final stages of another evil plan.

  Spyforce had uncovered Des Arbres’ secret scheme to unleash into the world’s forests a virus that would stop trees everywhere from being able to reproduce. Whole countries would be forced to buy her seeds in order to plant more trees, ruining whole economies and making her the richest person in the world.

  Alex adjusted the frequency of the Descrambler, which could translate any language in the world, and listened as Des Arbres’ French became fluent English.

  ‘If countries don’t buy my seeds, whole ecosystems will collapse and they will have no one to blame but themselves.’

  Alex heard the squeal of arrogant laughter from Des Arbres, as her final detail of dastardly planning was about to be put into place.

  ‘It will not be long now,’ the Descrambler translated for Alex. ‘Everything is in order. All we have to do is begin the launch of the planes to all the major forestry sites of the world and spray our lethal Des Arbres Mist all over them to make them mine.’

  Des Arbres launched into another annoying cackle as Alex switched off the Descrambler and put it into her backpack. The wind rushed by her like a cyclone as she made her way carefully along the roof of the speeding silver train, clinging to every protrusion and handle she could find as she made her way to Des Arbres’ carriage. She had with her Spyforce’s newest invention, the Neuro Reversal Spectron. With one zap of this powerful device, she could reverse the thinking patterns of all who came under its spectrum of influence. All she needed to do was reach Des Arbres’ window, aim the Neuro Reversal Spectron at her and her buffoons, and the world’s forests would not only be saved, but would have Des Arbres as their most devoted greenie, dedicating the rest of her life to saving the trees.

  But just then, Alex’s foot slipped. She lost her hold and dangled from the careering train like a leaf in autumn. She tried to regain her foothold but the force of the wind pinned her against the train so she was unable to move. As she looked around for something to hold onto, she saw the narrow mouth of a tunnel ahead, hurtling towards her like a hungry giant. She had about ten seconds to avoid certain doom. Would this be the end of Alex Crane? Would she be able to regain her foothold and avoid her fast-approaching demise? Would the world’s forests be wiped out by

  The train jerked as it came to a screeching halt. Linden toppled against Max and collapsed into her lap like a rag doll. Max looked down at him.

  ‘Comfortable down there, are we?’ she asked.

  Linden pulled himself up and adjusted himself in his seat.

  ‘Sorry, must be that magnetic personality of yours drawing me in,’ said Linden, looking away to hide the smirk creeping onto his face.

  ‘You know, if you put as much effort into being clever as being funny, you’d be a genius by now,’ said Max, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

  ‘Yeah, but I’d be a bored genius,’ said Linden into his sleeve.

  ‘What did you say?’ asked Max.

  ‘I wonder what the hold-up is,’ said Linden, looking around the carriage and pretending to be interested in what had stopped the train.

  Max frowned and went back to her notes.

  Linden looked at the people around them. They carried on reading their books or staring at the ceiling like they hadn’t even noticed the train had stopped. Maybe this happened all the time in London and people were used to it.

  He turned to Max. She was still scribbling in her notebook.

  ‘So why are you spending your holidays with Ben and Eleanor?’ he asked.

  Max had been so caught up in their mission she’d forgotten the whole story about her father cancelling his visit, the explosion of slime at school and the fight with her mum. After all that had happened in the past few days, that stuff seemed like ages ago.

  Thinking about it now made Max’s shoulders go tense and she turned to Linden with a little more force than she intended.

  ‘What’s it matter to you?’ she snapped.

  Linden was surprised by Max’s anger.

  ‘It doesn’t matter, I was interested, that’s all. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’

  They sat in silence for a few minutes. No one on the train was moving. The only sound that could be heard was the turning of the page of a book or the occasional cough or snore.

  Linden stared at the map of the Underground on the carriage wall and Max turned her pen over and over in her fingers, sorry that she’d been so mean to Linden when all he did was ask a question.

  The funny thing was, when Max thought about it, she did want to talk. She hadn’t had a chance to tell anyone how rotten the whole thing had made her feel. How she felt like no one loved her and everywhere she went she made a fool of herself and how she never had any real friends because she was always moving houses and how lonely that made her feel and how most of the time, no matter what she did, she felt life was against her.

  ‘There was no one to look after me in Sydney,’ Max spoke up.

  Linden stopped looking at the map.

  ‘My dad lives in America and he was supposed to come back home for the holidays but he got this important job and couldn’t make it.’

  Max looked down at the pen she was turning in her fingers.

  ‘We had some really great things planned too,’ she said sadly.

  Linden reached into his pocket for a mint and offered it to her.

  ‘Who do you live with in Sydney?’ he asked.

  Max screwed up her face. ‘Ms Popularity.’

  Linden was confused. ‘Who?’

  ‘My mother,’ explained Max. ‘She’s the head of publicity for a big television network and spends most of her time running after famous personalities at dinners and parties and launches of new TV shows. But if you ask me,’ Max said sarcastically, ‘there’s not much personality to be found.’

  Max had been talking really fast and getting excited. She stopped and let out a small laugh.

  ‘She probably finds these people more interesting than me,’ she said softly.

  Linden saw that Max had a tear in her eye.

  ‘If they all had brain transplants maybe,’ he said.

  Max laughed but what Linden said made her want to cry more. It was nice. She looked away, not wanting him to see her face. Linden put his hand on her shoulder, but she pulled away from him, took a handkerchief out of her backpack and blew her nose.

  ‘I must be getting a cold,’ said Max into her hanky.

  Max hated crying in front of other people but she did feel better now that she’d said all that
. She knew not everything she said was exactly fair but sometimes things her mum did weren’t fair either.

  The train lurched forward with a jolt as it slowly started up again. The sound of the wheels on the track beneath them resonated throughout the carriage.

  ‘How about your mum?’ Max asked, wanting to change the subject. ‘What’s she like?’

  Linden looked out the dark window of the train as it rocketed through the Underground tunnel.

  ‘She died two years ago. Cancer,’ he said quietly.

  Max froze. She hadn’t known. No one had told her. What do you say to someone whose mother has died?

  Linden stuck his hands under his legs like he suddenly felt really cold.

  ‘It’s okay. Dad’s great. He’s more quiet these days than he was before but he’s a really good dad.’

  Max shifted in her seat. She’d never been told anything so important in her life and she couldn’t think of a thing to say. Not one thing.

  ‘I miss her. Especially at nights when it’s quiet and I can still hear the sound of her voice saying goodnight and telling me to dream of great things.’ Linden smiled. ‘She always used to say that.’

  Max stared at Linden as he looked at the lights of the tunnel flash by like shooting lasers.

  The train slowed down and the squeal of brakes echoed around them.

  Linden stood up.

  ‘This is our stop,’ he said.

  Max followed him to the door of the carriage and stood by him in silence. She wanted to make him feel better like he’d made her feel better. She remembered the pact they’d made and went to put her hand on his back, but the doors opened and he stepped off the train.

  They were quiet all the way to Hartfield School as they walked past streets with boarded-up shops and thick wire fences across dirty window fronts and flashing neon signs saying ‘Fish and Chips’. There was an old, stone church with bars across the stained glass windows and cracks in the footpaths where kids had scribbled with chalk to play hopscotch. They passed high buildings with grey, cement walls and washing hanging on strings from poky little balconies, and crossed streets at traffic lights where the cars, buses and trucks were piled up against each other in an endless stream. Linden had never seen so busy a place in his whole life and wondered if it ever slowed down.

  When they reached the school, they stood in front of the gates with their mouths open. If Valerie did work here it was a long way from the flashy foyer of the Department of Science and New Technologies.

  The school was like your worst nightmare: a concrete and brick tangle of buildings that looked like they’d been there for decades and no one had bothered to look after them. Everything was grey and crumbling like it was going to fall down any minute and the really strange thing was that there wasn’t a single tree to be seen. Anywhere.

  Linden screwed up his face.

  ‘Kids really go to school in a place like this?’

  Max checked the address again.

  ‘I guess they do,’ she said.

  Suddenly, an old man grabbed them by the shoulders. Max and Linden screamed.

  ‘So you thought you’d get away with it, did you? Sticking your noses in where they’re not welcome. Well I’ll fix that,’ he growled.

  Max and Linden shook with fright. Maybe they were being followed. Maybe someone really didn’t want them to find Francis. The man looked about a hundred years old and had the meanest face they’d ever seen. And from the way he grabbed their shoulders, it seemed he meant business.

  Max and Linden struggled under the tight grip of the old man. Whatever it was he thought they’d done, he was really angry.

  ‘I’m sick of you kids thinking you can do as you please. I’m going to teach you a lesson you’ll never forget,’ he threatened.

  What was he talking about? Where was he taking them? Max was scared but she was also furious at being handled like this.

  And she wasn’t going to take any more.

  She gave Linden a wink and with a quick turn, sank her teeth into the old man’s arm. He let out a scream loud enough to bring down the crumbling school buildings.

  Linden followed Max’s lead and bit into the man’s other arm. His grip loosened and they twisted away, leaving him to nurse his two injured arms.

  ‘Bloody kids. When are you going to learn that you’re the ones missing out when you skip class?’

  Max looked at him.

  ‘We don’t go to this school,’ she said. ‘We’re from Australia.’

  The old man looked confused and Max couldn’t help herself.

  ‘Australia, it’s a big island down south,’ she explained.

  ‘I know where it is,’ the old man said grumpily. ‘I’m the Geography teacher.’

  He rubbed his sore arms and mumbled, ‘I guess I made a mistake. Sorry. What are you doing here?’

  Linden straightened his jumper.

  ‘We’re looking for a friend,’ he said. ‘Professor Valerie Liebstrom.’

  The old man started to laugh.

  ‘That’s rich. So you think she’s a professor, do you?’

  He kept laughing.

  Max was losing her patience.

  ‘Can you just tell us where she is?’ she said curtly.

  ‘I’d do it if I were you, mister,’ Linden warned. ‘Back home she’s known as Jaws.’

  Max shot Linden a look that told him to stop. Linden tried to cover his smirk but didn’t do very well.

  The old man stopped laughing and pointed to one of the buildings.

  ‘She’s in there. End of the corridor. Turn right.’

  As they walked away they heard the voice of the old man behind them.

  ‘Professor. That’s rich. That’s really rich.’

  Max and Linden had to use all their force to open the heavy, creaking door of the building where they were supposed to find Professor Liebstrom. Max turned to Linden.

  ‘Jaws?’ she asked.

  Linden could see Max wasn’t happy.

  ‘It was a joke,’ he explained. ‘That’s something funny that people laugh at.’

  ‘I know what a joke is,’ Max snapped, looking down at her watch. ‘We just don’t have time for joking.’

  Linden frowned. When was having a laugh a waste of time? Max was really in need of an injection of humour.

  It had been almost three hours since they had arrived in London. With only seven hours left, they needed to work really fast to try and complete their mission.

  Inside the building they could hear the muffled echo of kids talking. There was one light flickering overhead and blackened paint peeling off the walls of the corridor like giant strips of licorice.

  Linden was spooked.

  ‘And that old man was wondering why kids skip class,’ he said.

  Max squinted through the darkness. She could just make out the shape of a door.

  ‘That must be it.’ She pointed.

  Just then, the loud clanging of a bell swept through the corridor. Max and Linden covered their ears as doors burst open and kids came flying at them from everywhere. They fought their way through a sea of faces to the door at the end of the corridor. It was partly open and a dusty stream of light spilled out of what looked like a science lab.

  ‘Dr Frankenstein would have felt right at home here,’ said Linden.

  Max frowned.

  ‘Okay, okay. No jokes,’ Linden said. ‘But it’s not going to be easy.’

  Max knocked and pushed the door open wider. Inside was a small woman in a long white coat, walking between lab benches and gathering beakers, test tubes and Bunsen burners onto a metal trolley.

  ‘Excuse me, are you Professor Liebstrom?’ she asked.

  The woman looked up and smiled.

  ‘No one’s called me that in a long time. And who might you be?’

  Linden and Max were relieved. This was the first person in London who hadn’t freaked out when they asked a question.

  ‘I’m Max and this is Linden. We’re from Aus
tralia and we’re looking for Francis Williams.’

  The woman’s smile dropped.

  Max froze. Maybe the professor would freak out after all, now she knew who they were looking for. Valerie Liebstrom was their last real lead and time was running out if they were going to get back to Australia before Ben and Eleanor woke up. They couldn’t blow it now.

  Linden knew this too and tried to think of something to convince Valerie it was okay to talk to them.

  ‘We don’t want to get you into any trouble,’ he began. ‘Max’s uncle is his brother and we’re trying …’

  ‘You know Ben?’ she asked.

  Max and Linden were wary.

  ‘Yeah,’ they both said slowly.

  Valerie smiled and a faraway look came into her eyes like she was remembering something from a long time ago.

  ‘Ben and Eleanor,’ she whispered. ‘How about that?’

  Then she snapped out of her reverie and looked worried.

  ‘Has something happened to them?’ she asked.

  ‘No, they’re fine,’ Max burst out. ‘Ben has created a Matter Transporter and knows that Francis has been working on creating a Time and Space Machine. We know that you once worked with the three of them and Ben and Francis had a fight and don’t see each other any more. But Ben really misses his brother so we’ve come to find him.’

  Valerie’s eyes brightened.

  ‘And you used the Matter Transporter to get here?’ she asked excitedly.

  ‘Yeah. It works!’ Linden cried. ‘It’s not perfect yet, but Ben’s close.’

  Valerie had that dreamy look in her eyes again.

  ‘So he did it,’ she said quietly.

  Max looked at her watch.

  ‘Yeah, but we don’t have long before we have to leave. Can you help us find him?’

  ‘I can try,’ she said.

  ‘Mum, are you ready to go?’ asked a voice behind them.

  Linden’s eyes widened when he turned and saw a girl standing at the door. She had dark, curly hair and big brown eyes that looked out at him through a pair of pink glasses. He straightened his jumper and walked over to her.

  ‘Hi, I’m Linden.’