Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names of characters and their professions are a product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Copyright © 2019 by Elizabeth Singer Hunt
Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Brian Williamson
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First Edition: March 2019
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2017963212
ISBNs: 978-1-6028-6578-5 (paperback), 978-1-6028-6577-8 (ebook)
E3-20190123-JV-NF-ORI
CONTENTS
COVER
TITLE PAGE
COPYRIGHT
DEDICATION
THE WORLD
GLOBAL PROTECTION FORCE ALERT
THINGS YOU’LL FIND IN EVERY BOOK
DESTINATION: IRELAND
BOOK OF KELLS: 101
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY: FACTS AND FIGURES
THE STALWART FAMILY
GPF GADGET INSTRUCTION MANUAL
CHAPTER 1: MISS MURPHY
CHAPTER 2: THE UNFORTUNATE NEWS
CHAPTER 3: MR. PINK
CHAPTER 4: THE INVESTIGATION
CHAPTER 5: THE ESCAPE
CHAPTER 6: THE BRIDGE
CHAPTER 7: THE SURPRISE ATTACK
CHAPTER 8: THE PADDY BOAT
CHAPTER 9: THE CHASE
CHAPTER 10: THE CLOSE CALL
CHAPTER 11: THE BUDDY CALL
CHAPTER 12: THE HELI-DRONE
CHAPTER 13: THE TIP
CHAPTER 14: THE EMERGENCY
CHAPTER 15: THE GIANT’S CAUSEWAY
CHAPTER 16: THE THIEF REVEALED
CHAPTER 17: THE LESSONS LEARNED
CHAPTER 18: THE RETURN OF THE BOYS
CHAPTER 19: THE NEWS FLASH
CHAPTER 20: THE MASTERMIND’S ACCOMPLICE
THE SECRET AGENTS JACK AND MAX STALWART SERIES
JOIN JACK AND MAX IN THEIR OTHER ADVENTURES…
For Andy, my stalwart companion.
THE WORLD
GLOBAL PROTECTION FORCE ALERT
THE WORLD’S MOST PRECIOUS TREASURES ARE UNDER ATTACK!
Secret Agents Courage and Wisdom recently thwarted an attempt to steal the Emerald Buddha from the Grand Palace in Thailand. The GPF believes that the mastermind behind this crime was also behind the thefts of Picasso’s Acrobat painting and a Fabergé egg from Russia. If this is true, we have a madman on our hands.
All agents must be prepared to travel at a moment’s notice. Anyone witnessing someone or something suspicious should report it immediately to Gerald Barter, the Director of the GPF.
Louise Persnall
Assistant to Gerald Barter
THINGS YOU’LL FIND IN EVERY BOOK
Global Protection Force (GPF): The GPF is a worldwide force of junior secret agents whose aim is to protect the world’s people, places, and possessions. It was started in 1947 by a man named Ronald Barter, who wanted to stop criminals from harming things that mattered in the world. When Ronald died, under mysterious circumstances, his son Gerald took over. The GPF’s main offices are located somewhere in the Arctic Circle.
Watch Phone: The GPF’s Watch Phone is worn by GPF agents around their wrists. It can make and receive phone calls, send and receive messages, play videos, unlock the Secret Agent Book Bag, and track an agent’s whereabouts. The Watch Phone also carries the GPF’s Melting Ink Pen. Just push the button to the left of the screen to eject this lifesaving gadget.
Secret Agent Book Bag: The GPF’s Secret Agent Book Bag is licensed only to GPF agents. Inside are hi-tech gadgets necessary to foil bad guys and escape certain death. To unlock and lock, all an agent has to do is place his or her thumb on the zipper. The automatic thumbprint reader will identify him or her as the owner.
GPF Tablet: The GPF Tablet is a tablet computer used by GPF agents at home. On it, agents can access the GPF secure website, send encrypted e-mails, use the agent directory, and download mission-critical data.
Whizzy: Whizzy is Jack’s magical miniature globe. Almost every night at 7:30 p.m., the GPF uses him to send Jack the location of his next mission. Jack’s parents don’t know that Whizzy is anything but an ordinary globe. Jack’s brother, Max, has a similar buddy on his bedside table named “Zoom.”
The Magic Map: The Magic Map is a world map that hangs on every GPF agent’s wall. Recently, it was upgraded from wood to a hi-tech, unbreakable glass. Once an agent places the country shape in the right spot, the map lights up and transports him or her to his or her mission. The agent returns precisely one minute after he or she left.
DESTINATION: IRELAND
Ireland is called the “Emerald Isle” because of its lush green countryside. Green is the symbolic color of the country.
More than 6 million people live in Ireland. Dublin is Ireland’s capital city.
Politically, Ireland is divided into two parts. Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland is an independent state.
St. Patrick brought Christianity to Ireland more than 1,500 years ago. He is celebrated every year on St. Patrick’s Day, which is on March 17.
The “shamrock” is a popular Irish symbol. This three-leaf clover represents the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit of the Christian religion.
The Irish wolfhound is the official dog of Ireland. It’s also the tallest dog breed. It can grow to be thirty-four inches (86 cm) at the neck. It originally hunted wolves.
Potatoes are a common ingredient in Irish dishes. They were brought to the island in the 1500s.
Ireland has no snakes. They weren’t quick enough to make it to the island before the seas separated Ireland from its neighboring countries.
The Guinness World Records started in Ireland. It was named after a director of the Guinness Brewery company, who wanted to make a book of achievements. It was first published in 1955.
BOOK OF KELLS: 101
The Book of Kells is one of Ireland’s greatest national treasures.
It’s an illustrated manuscript of the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
The book was created by monks more than 1,100 years ago.
The pages are made from calf skin. Colors like red, yellow, blue, green, and gold are used throughout. Animals and mythical creatures also appear.
For hundreds of years, the Book of Kells was kept at the Abbey of Kells in northeast Ireland.
Today, the book is on display at Trinity College Library in Dublin.
Trinity College is Ireland’s oldest university. It was founded in 1592.
GIANT’S CAUSEWAY: FACTS AND FIGURES
The “Giant’s Causeway” is a geologic rock formation in Northern Ireland.
It contains about 40,000 hexagonal “steps” of differing heights.
The causeway extends into the sea toward Scotland.
Legend has it that an Irish giant named Fionn mac Cumhaill built the steps, so that he could battle the Scottish giant, Benandonner. But Benandonner changed his mind and fled. He destroyed the steps closest to Scotland so that mac Cumhaill couldn’t follow him. The causeway is actually the result of volcanic eruptions. The rock is basalt.
The Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. That means it’s been identified as a special place that needs to be celebrated and preserved.
THE STALWART FAMILY
Jack Stalwart: Nine-year-old Jack Stalwart works as a secret agent for the Global Protection Force, or GPF. Jack originally joined the GPF to find and rescue his brother, Max, who’d disappeared on one of his missions. Eventually, Jack tracked Max to Egypt, where he saved him and King Tut’s diadem, or crown.
Max Stalwart: Twelve-year-old Max is a GPF agent too. He was recruited after filling out a questionnaire online, and pledging his young life to protect “that which cannot protect itself.” Max’s specialty within the GPF is cryptography, which is the ability to write and crack coded messages. Recently, Max narrowly escaped death in Egypt, while protecting King Tut’s diadem.
John Stalwart: John Stalwart is the patriarch of the family. He’s an aerospace engineer, who recently headed up the Mars Mission Program. For many months, the GPF had fooled John and his wife, Corinne, into thinking that their oldest son, Max, was at a boarding school in Switzerland. Really, Max was on a top secret mission in Egypt. When that mission ended, Max’s “boarding school” closed, and he returned home for good. John is an American and his wife, Corinne, is British, which makes Jack and Max a bit of both.
Corinne Stalwart: Corinne Stalwart is the family matriarch. She’s kind, loving, and fair. She’s also totally unaware (as is her husband) that her two sons are agents for the Global Protection Force. In her spare time, Corinne volunteers at the boys’ school, and studies Asian art.
GPF GADGET INSTRUCTION MANUAL
Noggin Mold: This flexible piece of plastic molds to an agent’s head to form a usable helmet. Perfect when using the Flyboard, Scatta-Scooter, Torpedo, or any other GPF moving vehicle.
Heli-Drone Prototype: The GPF’s Heli-Drone Prototype is a small two-person helicopter currently undergoing testing. It contains the latest hi-tech surveillance equipment including LIDAR, which can uncover hidden structures in the forest. Unlike other drone crafts, the Heli-Drone is flown by agents from the inside. Its power comes from a lithium-ion battery that needs to be charged. In case of emergency, there are two ejector buttons, one for each seat.
Map Mate app: When you’re lost or need to get somewhere fast, use the GPF’s Map Mate app. This clever app receives signals from satellites in space to give you a map of any country, city, or town in the world. It can also show you how to get from one place to the other using directional arrows to guide the way.
The Flyboard: When you need help getting somewhere faster than your feet will take you, use the GPF’s Flyboard. The Flyboard looks like a skateboard, but has two hydrogen-powered jets at the back. Just snap it together and hop on. Push the word “air” on your Watch Phone to fly, “blades” to skate on ice, or “wheels” to speed on the ground.
Chapter 1
Miss Murphy
SWOOSH!
The door to the tour bus opened. Jack Stalwart stepped out and onto the ground. Behind him were his older brother, Max, and four other students. They and their teacher chaperones had just arrived for a three-day field trip to Dublin, Ireland.
“Gather up,” said Miss Murphy.
Miss Catriona Murphy was Jack and Max’s art history teacher. She was twenty-five years old with short black hair and bright green eyes. Although she was new to the boys’ school, she’d already become everyone’s favorite teacher.
Beyond being interesting, Miss Murphy was cool. In her spare time, she did rock climbing and competed in endurance races. In fact, Miss Murphy had just finished one of the toughest triathlons in the world. Her academic interest was Irish art, which is why they were in Dublin in the first place. She wanted to share the sights and sounds of the city with her students.
Miss Murphy did a quick head count. There was Jack and Max, Daniel Smith, Julie Egham, Edward Brown, and Beth Williams. All of the kids were between 9 and 12 years old.
“Let’s take a group photo,” said Miss Murphy, motioning for everyone to get together.
Jack and Max stood at the back and hammed it up for the camera. After the photo, Miss Murphy thumbed to the large, gray rectangular building over her shoulder. A sign out front read:
TRINITY COLLEGE LIBRARY DUBLIN
VISIT THE BOOK OF KELLS
“That’s where the Book of Kells is kept,” she said with a wink.
Jack knew all about the famous Book of Kells. Miss Murphy had been talking about it for weeks. The book contained “illuminated” drawings about the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.
It was “illuminated” because many of the drawings were painted in real gold. Since Jack was a bit of an artist himself, he could appreciate how special it was. The Book of Kells was created by monks in the ninth century, which meant it was more than 1,100 years old. It was known as “Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure.”
“We’ve already had a long day of traveling,” said Miss Murphy. “What do you say we check into the hotel?”
Miss Murphy pointed to the green-painted hotel across the road. It was called the “Lucky Leprechaun.” Next to its name was an image of a friendly leprechaun, or sprite.
In addition to Miss Murphy, there was another chaperone on the trip—
Ms. Humphries.
Ms. Humphries was a grumpy old woman who wore a big gold ring on one of her fingers. Whenever a student misbehaved, she would whack her ring on the top of their head. Jack had never felt it, but other students were frequent recipients. Daniel Smith, in particular, was familiar with the “sting of the ring.”
THWACK!
“Yow!” squealed Daniel.
Jack turned around to see Daniel rubbing the top of his head.
“Look both ways before you cross the street!” barked Ms. Humphries.
“Yes, Ms. Humphries,” said Daniel as he safely scurried across the road. While Miss Murphy was everyone’s favorite teacher, Ms. Humphries was the least.
After checking into their rooms, everyone met downstairs for dinner in the hotel café. Jack ordered “colcannon,” a dish made with mashed potatoes and cabbage. Max tried the “Irish stew.” For dessert, the students shared a bite of “moss pudding,” a fluffy sweet made from red seaweed.
“Yummy,” said Jack as he dug in. Jack and Max’s favorite part of any meal was dessert.
After dinner, Miss Murphy and Ms. Humphries escorted the students to their rooms.
“Let’s meet in the lobby first thing tomorrow,” said Miss Murphy.
“Eight a.m. sharp!” said Ms. Humphries.
After saying “good night,” Jack and Max made their way to their room. They stayed up late talking about the latest soccer scores and by 10 p.m., they were fast asleep.
Chapter 2
The Unfortunate News
At 7:30 a.m., Jack and Max’s alarm went off. They brushed their teeth, got dressed, and made their way to the lobby as instructed. As soon as they got there, they could tell that something was wrong. Ms. Humphries looked annoyed, and the other students were confused.
PING!
It was Ms. Humphries’s phone. She looked down at the text on her screen.
“Running late?” she scowled.
Jack figured the text was from Miss Murphy.
Through the hotel window, Jack spied at least twenty Irish police cars in front of Trinity College Library.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Daniel shrugged his shoulders.
One of the lobby staff turned on the TV. There was a female reporter holding a microphone on the screen. She was standing in front of the library with the words BREAKING NEWS beneath her.
“Ireland’s greatest cultural treasure—the Book of Kells—was stolen last night,” she announced. “Authorities are on the scene trying to piece together the clues.”
Jack and the others gasped. Ms. Humphries rolled her eyes. “How inconvenient.” she mumbled.
For Jack the news was more than “inconvenient.” The theft of the Book of Kells was a serious crime. Just as Jack was wondering if he and Max might be assigned to the case, his Watch Phone pinged. As soon as he saw the text, he knew the answer.
The Fate of the Irish Treasure: Ireland Page 1