The Magnificent Glass Globe
Page 3
An old-fashioned travel trunk! It was well worn, and the edges were lined with tarnished and dented metal. The exposed side of the trunk had a handle, two metal buckles, and several faded labels, which said “fragile” or “handle with care.” Mary had no idea why this well-used suitcase of a seasoned traveler would be among the museum’s collection. It certainly wasn’t like any of the other items the museum tended to display. Mary’s mind fantasized about all the distant lands this old box had likely seen. She was jealous that a simple suitcase had probably been all over the world, while she hadn’t been anywhere.
It was cramped in the tunnel under the crates, and Mary wanted to get a better look at the travel trunk. Straining, she grabbed the case’s handle and pulled the heavy trunk as she backed out of the tunnel. It was hard to maneuver in the tight space, but fortunately, there was just enough room to slide the trunk out into the open light.
When she emerged from the tunnel, the first thing Mary noticed was a small brass nameplate with an inscription: “Property of E. B. Tucker”
Mary’s eyes almost popped out of her skull when she realized what she was seeing. She knew that name all too well.
“Ike, Helen, come over here and look at this!” Mary yelled in exhilaration.
Within a few moments they were at her side, peering down at Mary’s discovery.
“What is it?” Helen asked.
“It’s an old travel trunk,” Mary answered reverently. “One that’s probably been used to travel around the world.”
“Seriously, Mary?” Ike complained. “You think we’re going to get as excited as you over an old suitcase?”
“You will when you see this.”
Mary triumphantly pointed to the inscription.
“What are you talking about—” Ike said, stopping short as he read the label.
His mouth and eyes both opened wide.
“It’s Grandpa’s!” he exclaimed. “E. B. Tucker is Ephraim Byron Tucker! But how did it get here?”
“Well, Grandpa did work here for years,” Mary said. “But this looks more like his personal property. I have no idea why he’d put it here in the warehouse.”
“I wish we could see what’s inside,” Ike said.
“Then why don’t you open it, genius?” Helen suggested.
Mary and Ike looked at each other for a moment, as if unsure whether they actually should do it.
“Well,” said Ike, “If this is Grandpa’s personal suitcase, wouldn’t he show us what’s inside anyway if he were here?”
The logic was enough to convince Mary. Both she and Ike simultaneously dove toward the trunk and started unfastening its metal buckles.
Once the buckles were unfastened, they tried to push open the lid. It wouldn’t budge. Mary had forgotten about the keyhole. Indeed, as she found the metal disc, she discovered that a big, locking clasp held the lid firmly closed. Mary sighed with dashed hopes.
“We can’t open it without the key,” Ike complained.
“I guess we’ll have to ask Grandpa about it next time we see him,” Mary said. “Just make sure it is not when Dad’s around.”
“Step aside, amateurs,” Helen said, pushing past them and toward the travel trunk. “Keys are completely overrated.”
Helen hunched over and fumbled around with the locked clasp for a minute. She forcefully made a pushing motion, and a metallic “pop” sounded. Helen, holding a small screwdriver in her hand, stood up to reveal the previously locked clasp, now opened wide. She spun the tool around her finger, and blew on it like a smoking pistol.
“You’re welcome,” she said.
“Wait a minute,” Mary said, confused. “How did you—”
“Oh please,” Helen said. “Old locks like this are hard to pick, but they’re not very strong. My parents still have one similar to this on our back gate. When I was seven, they gave me a key one day when I was coming home from school early. They told me it was mine, and not to lose it. Well, I lost it three days later. I was too afraid to tell them, but I learned fast enough that with the right leverage, you can pop these clasps right open.”
Mary stared at Helen, dumbfounded. Her friend was always full of surprises. But before she could think any more about Helen’s unexpected skill set, Mary remembered the trunk, which now sat unlocked before her. She reached down, and slowly lifted the lid.
A Globe of Glass
“Now that’s what I’m talking about!” Ike said as he pulled a long, shiny blade from the trunk.
It looked like a sword, only not as long, and with a much wider blade. Ike held it high above his head as he yelled like a gladiator calling out to an invisible opponent.
“Come on and fight like a man!”
“Oh, put it away, Ike,” Helen said. “I don’t even trust you with plastic scissors, and I’d like to keep my eyeballs today.”
Ike responded with his best ninja impression. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he swung the blade around, adding his own kung-fu sound effects. It didn’t look natural with his stocky body, short legs, and thick mushroom of hair. Mary ignored her brother, but looked at the sword. She knew it wasn’t really a sword, but rather a machete—a long, wide knife that was used to cut through dense jungles.
It would be perfect for the rainforest, Mary thought, wondering whether Grandpa had used the machete during his trips to the Amazon.
Mary turned back to the open trunk to see what else it contained. She pulled out a pair of army green backpacks made from a thick, canvas-like material. She opened one of them, and inside found a small leather-bound book, some folded raincoats, and two metal canteens, and a few other things. Without thinking, Mary replaced the items and slung the backpack over her shoulders as she continued to dig through the trunk. Every item caused Mary to wonder how each had been used in adventures around the world.
As she rummaged deeper, Mary’s fingers made contact with the edge of a smaller box, buried beneath the assortment of gear. It was a sturdy, cubical case of smooth metal. Mary tried to lift it, but found it was too heavy. Increasingly curious, she cleared the items covering the metal box until its entire lid was exposed. Mary unlatched the lid, and opened the case.
She was confused by what she found. Instead of a fancy camera or some other piece of valuable equipment, Mary found a small, simple-looking instrument. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen, and she didn’t have the slightest clue what it was.
The most striking part of the unknown object was a smooth sphere of pale glass, about the size of a large orange. The sphere was mounted on a golden stand, and tilted at an angle.
Mary carefully lifted the strange, heavy artifact out of its case.
“Look at this weird glass ball,” she said. “It’s like a globe, only without a map.”
“Maybe it’s a globe of the moon?” Ike suggested, stopping his machete swinging to come and admire Mary’s find.
“What do you think it does?” Helen asked.
“Beats me,” Mary replied, honestly.
She turned the globe-like item around a few times, searching for anything that might reveal its purpose. Why would a useless object be kept in such a secure, padded case? And what was it doing in Grandpa’s old travel trunk anyway?
Mary touched the surface of the glass sphere, and found that it could spin just like a regular globe. The thick glass rotated effortlessly as Mary gave it a push with her fingers.
The glass orb swiveled normally a few times when, without warning, it began rotating rapidly. It was like it had a mind of its own!
The rotations grew faster and faster, and within seconds, the ball of glass was spinning on its stand at top speed. As the globe continue to whirl, the pale glass suddenly lit up.
Mary was so startled she almost dropped it.
“Holy cow!” Ike yelled, jumping back. “What is it?”
“It is a globe!” Mary said, once she’d recovered from her shock.
The light of the orb ste
adily grew brighter, revealing a map of the world where, a moment earlier, there’d only been blank, pale glass. Though the glass was still spinning, the illuminated image of the earth’s surface didn’t move.
The map didn’t look exactly like those found on other globes. It showed no borders of countries, nor did any names of places appear. Mary realized that it looked much like pictures she’d seen of the earth as taken from space, with deep blue oceans and green and brownish land masses. Even white clouds were visible, covering parts of the planet’s surface. It was amazing!
“The clouds are moving,” Helen noted in surprise.
Mary couldn’t figure out how such a small object could project a map of the world in such intricate detail. She watched the clouds slowly drift over the map, gradually changing their shape. Gazing deeper into the glass, more details came into focus. Mary could see the rippling movements of the ocean and slow currents churning deep within the water.
“This is the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen,” Mary exclaimed in sheer awe.
Mary turned the globe in her hands, searching again for any indicator of how it worked. As she tipped it upward, Mary was treated to a great view of South America.
“Look at this,” she said. “It’s the Amazon.”
Sure enough, by gazing deep into the globe, Mary distinctly saw a pattern of brownish lines branching like tiny veins through the heart of South America, indicating the mighty river.
“Wow, Mary,” said Ike. “I think you broke your record. Seven minutes without mentioning the Amazon. Way to go!”
Mary ignored Ike and fixated on the Amazon. It looked far more beautiful than it did on conventional maps. The rainforest was a deep green, greener than any other part of the globe.
Deep within her, Mary felt a funny sensation. An energy came from the spinning sphere, which called out to her in a silent yet powerful voice.
Touch the globe, she heard in her mind.
Mary slowly moved her finger closer to the glass surface. She felt a surge of nervous anticipation. She could feel that something exciting was about to happen. Looking over at Ike and Helen, Mary saw that they both felt the sensation too. Was it a good excitement, or were her instincts warning her of danger?
It didn’t matter. Mary’s urge to touch the globe was too strong. Her finger made contact with the spinning glass, right in the heart of the Amazon. Just as she did, Helen reached out with a gasp and clasped Mary by the arm.
“Don’t touch it!” she said, but too late.
In the blink of an eye, something extraordinary happened. The globe grew! Mary wasn’t sure if the globe was actually changing in size, but her view of it certainly did. Within a few seconds, the warehouse completely disappeared, and all she could see was a giant earth before her. Mary glanced to one side, to see a frightened Helen. Her iron grip on Mary’s arm felt like a vice. Mary looked to the other side for Ike, but he was nowhere to be found.
“Mary?” Helen said nervously. “What’s happening?”
Mary returned her gaze to the massive globe in front of her. She felt like she was floating in outer space, looking down at the surface of the planet. Mary could still feel the globe in her hand and her finger pressed against the glass, even though the globe had disappeared. Steadily, the earth continued to grow larger. She and Helen were actually zooming in toward the point where Mary’s finger made contact.
Helen shrieked as she felt them moving, and suddenly let go of Mary’s arm.
“Helen!” Mary cried, watching her friend vanished completely into thin air.
Shocked by the turn of events, Mary quickly pulled her finger away from the glass. Her expanded view of the world faded, and the globe returned to its original size, once again visible in her hand.
“What just happened?” Mary asked with a trembling voice.
She turned to Ike, who looked like he was about to throw up.
“You tell me,” he said. “You both dis … you disappeared completely!”
“What?” Mary said. “You couldn’t see us either?”
Ike shook his head.
“No,” he said. “Helen came back first, then you.”
“That thing is freaky,” Helen said, clearly disturbed. “It was like we were in a life size version of Google Earth! It felt like we were falling from space.”
“What?” said Ike, suddenly not looking quite so woozy. “That sounds awesome! I want to see what it does!”
Mary wasn’t sure what to say. What exactly could this little globe do? Her heart was pounding, but despite the feelings of anxiety, the almost irresistible urge to touch the globe returned.
“Okay Ike, hold on to me and I’ll touch it again,” she said. “Just don’t let go. When Helen let go of me, she disappeared.”
“Mary,” Helen said quietly, while squeezing Mary’s shoulder. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I have a really funny feeling about this. I don’t think I’ve ever been more scared in my life.”
“On second thought,” Ike said, letting go of Mary, “maybe Helen’s right. Maybe there’s a reason Grandpa kept this thing hidden here.”
“Don’t worry,” Mary assured them. “Last time everything went back to normal the second I pulled my finger away from the glass. I came right back to the warehouse, and so did Helen when she let go.”
Mary looked at Helen and Ike. She was sure they were curious too. Finally, Helen gave Mary a reluctant nod. She and Ike each put a hand on Mary’s shoulder, and Mary reached her finger toward the spinning glass once again.
“My goodness, you’ve found it!” said a deep voice from somewhere behind them.
Mary turned in surprise to see who had spoken. It was the old janitor. How had he been able to sneak up on her once again? Mary stared at him in confusion, her finger hovered a centimeter away from the glass.
“I’ve been looking for this for forty years, and here it is!” he exclaimed, gleefully, reaching out and taking a step toward Mary. “Hurry, Child, hand it over!”
Nowhere to Run
Mary was trapped. She, Ike, and Helen were backed against a wall of crates, and the old janitor was closing in.
“Don’t be afraid, just give me my globe,” he said, with insatiable greed in his eyes.
Instinctively, Mary clutched the still-spinning globe tightly against her chest. She tried to another step backward, but the wall prevented that. There was nowhere to run.
“It doesn’t belong to you,” Mary said, trembling in fear as the janitor loomed nearer. “It was in my grandfather’s travel case.”
“Don’t be foolish, child,” the man snapped back. “It’s mine, and nothing will stop me from finally getting it!”
Mary let out a small scream of panic when he reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a black handgun. He aimed it directly at her. Mary had been afraid already. Now she was terrified.
“Now, be a good girl and give me the globe. Hand it over without any trouble, and I promise that nobody will get hurt,” said the old man.
He didn’t sound very convincing.
A thousand thoughts raced through Mary’s mind. Her heart was pounding out of control. What could she do? She was petrified with a fear she’d never felt before, but at the same time, she knew that she could not, under any circumstance, allow this man to get the globe.
“What are you waiting for?” Ike whispered urgently. “Just give it to him already!”
Mary was still frozen. There had to be something she could do.
Touch the globe. The powerful, penetrating thought came to her mind, just as it had before.
But would that work? When she touched it the first time, Ike said they disappeared. Would they be able to escape the janitor?
Touch the globe! came the urge once again.
With the old man’s pistol still trained on her, Mary glanced down nervously at the globe. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, and she could barely even hold on to the heavy object.
Before she could change her mind, Mary pressed against the surface of the spinning glass.
“Wait, stop!” the man yelled, dropping his gun and lunging at them. “Don’t touch it!”
His hand was inches away from the globe as he faded into nothing. As before, the room was gone, replaced by the enormous view of the earth below.
Mary braced herself, half expecting to still feel the janitor wrench the globe from her fingers at any moment, invisible or not. But to her great relief, he was gone.
“It worked,” she whispered.
“What’s happening?” Ike said, fear and surprise heavy in his voice.
“I touched the globe,” Mary said. “Whatever you do, don’t let go of me, or you’ll end up back in the warehouse.”
Mary felt both Ike and Helen immediately tighten their grips on her shoulder.
Everybody was silent, and for a moment, all Mary could hear was the sound of three pounding heartbeats. Below, the dazzling earth shone like a giant blue orb. Mary kept her finger held firmly against the invisible glass, and the earth continued to grow.
“So what are we gonna do?” Helen finally asked. “Just hang out here in space forever?”
“I don’t know,” Mary answered, truthfully. “But I can’t let go now.”
“Won’t we have to go back at some point?” Ike asked.
“I’d rather be floating out here in fake outer space than in that warehouse with a gun pointed at me,” said Mary. “Maybe if we stay out here long enough, the old man will eventually leave.”
“I don’t know,” said Ike. “He looked pretty serious about wanting the globe. What if he just sits there and waits for us to reappear?”
“Eventually he’ll have to leave,” Helen said. “My dad will come looking for us, and when he doesn’t find us, the first thing he’ll do is check the security cameras. He’ll see everything that happened, and I doubt the janitor will want to wait around to deal with him.”