by Matt Musson
The Mystery of Merlin’s Magic
By
Matt Musson
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PUBLISHED BY:
The Mystery of Merlin’s Magic
Dedicated to Boys everywhere.
Copyright © 2009, 2011 by Matt Musson
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. Thank you for respecting the author's work.
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Chapter One: I Do Not Have X-Ray Vision!
I do not have x-ray vision. I want to make that clear right up front.
You see I once told my girlfriend, Lyndsey Dalrymple, about my gift and about how I find lost things like money and jewelry and stuff. Somehow Lyndsey got it in her mind, that since I can locate stuff buried in the ground, or behind walls, I must have x-ray vision. Then, she decided that every time I looked at her, I was looking right through her clothes and seeing her naked.
That's why Lyndsey is now my ex-girlfriend. And, not only did she break up with me – she told every girl in the 7th grade that I am a Perv!
So, I just want to say up front that I do not have x-ray vision. And I am not a Perv.
I just find things. That's all. And, everybody finds things.
I just find things better than anyone else.
**************
My name is Jeep Muldoon and I was named after my Grandfather, Gustaf Philip Muldoon. And, since Grandpa lived with us, he was Gus Muldoon; I was G.P. Muldoon around the house.
My little sister Jenny had trouble saying G.P., so she called me Jeepie, which eventually got shortened to Jeep. Giving me that great nickname is the only good thing Jenny has ever done.
Grandpa Gus gave me something besides his name. He gave me my locating gift; at least part of it anyway.
You see Grandpa Gus was a well driller. And, he was the best there was at finding water. He did not need a forked stick. He just knew where the water was.
Grandpa Gus has the gift.
My other Grandpa, Mom's father Charlie, was a mining prospector. He found gold and silver and precious gems. They say he could smell the stuff. And, as you might expect, he made a lot of money. As a matter of fact, he made and lost three fortunes before I was ever born. Money just seemed to flow through his fingers without ever stopping in his pocket. He lived wild and rowdy and spent money as fast as it came in.
Grandpa Charlie died before I was born. I am not really sure how. It's one of those things no one ever talks about and I often wonder if maybe someone shot him. But, he probably just got hit by a bus or something. Anyway, one thing I do know is Grandpa Charlie also had the gift.
So, I came by my gift honestly. I inherited it from both sides of the family. You might say I have a double dose of locating genes.
Grandpa Gus recognized my potential early on and he raised me to be the greatest locator there ever was. When I was two years old, he started playing hide the pennies with me. He would hide ten pennies around the living room, and I would try and find them.
By the time I was three, I was finding all ten pennies – blindfolded.
Soon, we moved up to silver coins. And, then Grandpa started hiding his gold tie tack and 10 karat Lodge pin. And, like a vacuum cleaner, I just snarfed them up.
So, now here I am in the 7th grade. I have this amazing gift, and I have spent years developing it. I have located arrowheads and gold nuggets. I've found silver dollars and diamond rings. (And lost girlfriends.)
But, nothing I ever found in my whole life prepared me for the wildest adventure ever when my friends and I slammed head on into the Mystery of Merlin's Magic.
************
Chapter Two – The Parking Lot That Ate Granite Falls
Dad says that he does not read the Granite Falls Gazette to find out what the good people of Granite Falls are up to. It's a small town. He already knows what they are up to. Dad reads the paper to find out who got caught.
But, occasionally Dad will come across some choice tidbit to share at the breakfast table. That is exactly what happened on the very first day of summer vacation.
We were all sitting there finishing up the big breakfast that Mom cooked special because it was our first day of freedom, and we did not have to rush off to school. It was still pretty early because Jenny and I had not gotten on a summer schedule of sleeping late yet.
Jenny was being her usual butthead self. She took the last two pieces of bacon because she knew that I wanted them. When she saw me looking – she snatched them off the serving plate and stuck out her tongue in triumph. But, before we could get started on an early morning Smackdown, Dad interrupted.
“It says in the Gazette that the City Council is moving to take over Mr. Shiner's Miniature Golf Course. The Council wants to use eminent domain to sell the course to Wiley Porkbutt to use as a parking lot.”
I choked on my Lucky Charms.
“A parking lot?” I protested. “They're going to tear down Granite Falls only miniature golf course for a parking lot? That is So not right! We have plenty of parking lots – but only one miniature golf course. Why would they do something so stupid?”
“Well,” said Dad. “Wiley Porkbutt recently persuaded the town council that King and Trade streets are suffering from too much congestion. They voted with him to declare those streets as no parking zones. He succeeded in squeezing out 75 town owned parking spaces, and now he wants to replace those spaces on the street with the ones in this new parking lot.”
Dad continued a little over the top.
“It's like one of those old Western movies, where the big ranch owner squeezes out the homesteaders until he controls all the water in the valley. Except in this case, Wiley Porkbutt controls all the parking spaces in the valley. If anyone wants to park in downtown Granite Falls, they are going to have to pay Porkbutt Preferred Parking.”
I pushed aside my cereal and stood up. I was too upset to sit at the table any longer. I felt like I should do something to register my disgust. But, what could I do, I’m just a kid? Boy, summer vacation was really starting out on a sour note!
Finally, I said the only thing I could think of, “I'm going fishing. I guess I better head down to Town Lake before they pave it over and start charging all the fish to park there!”
I stomped over to the kitchen sink and deposited my dirty breakfast dishes. When I moved across the kitchen towards the door to the garage, I tapped Jenny on the opposite shoulder. When she turned her head to find no one there, I executed a grab that would have made Houdini proud.
I was already in the garage before Jenny realized I had walked out with both her slices of bacon.
And, Mom and Dad never saw a thing!
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Chapter Three – Binary Unicycles and Great White Sharks
I don't use my gift for fishing. It is way too frustrating. Imagine knowing your bait is dangling in front of the biggest fish in the lake, and he's completely ignoring you?
That is no way to relax.
Anyway, this morning I was laying in the shade on the grassy shoreline and listening to the wind blowing through some nearby willows. Tearing off strips of barbecue flavored jerky; I chewed them up and washed them down with sips of ice cold lemonade from my canteen. I felt the warm sun and cool wind on my skin. I listened to a pair of mockingbirds squabbling in the distance. And, I sat in the shade of a grandfatherly willow watching as the sunshine sparkled off small wavelets on the surface of the water.
I was in the zone.
Suddenly,
my red and white bobber bounced lightly creating almost imperceptible ripples on the surface of the water. Some unknown quarry nibbled tentatively at my bait ball. Leaning over and picking up my fishing pole from its forked stick holder, I was just getting ready to set the hook when…
“Look out below!!!”
Crash! Slap! Crunch!
I turned back toward the hillside above me and was startled by something smashing through the overgrown scrub. Slamming through the bushes, it pinballed into small pine trees as it bounced down the incline.
I could not see what was approaching – but from the movement I could follow the progress. It was like some large animal, a bear or a horse, was barreling through the rough, shaking bushes and bending little trees as it advanced. But, each crash was punctuated with yelps and mild curses. Then, almost too quickly to follow, something burst through the final brake of blackberry canes and honeysuckle.
For brief seconds I observed some kind of outlandish wheeled contraption bouncing the last few yards to the river at breakneck speed. It just missed me and the willow I sat under, then it hit the small upward lip of the bank and the whole mechanism went airborne – until it came down with a great big… KERSPLASH!!!
The muddy water swirled and churned, while spray from the huge splash drenched me up on the bank. The churning continued until up popped a freckled face with smiling blue eyes. It was framed with sodden but still fiery red hair. The newcomer splurted out a mouthful of muddy lake water.
Then, beside the first figure, a second bobbed to the surface. This subsequent body came up coughing and gulping and sputtering. A husky outline emerged from the lake, barley covered by a soaking white tee shirt streaked with lake slime. Sodden coffee colored curls hung limply plastered atop a mud striped face.
This second unlucky bather roared.
“Why you squirrel faced monkey boy! I can't believe I let you talk me into getting onto that death mobile of yours. If I get my hands around your neck – the next streets you will be pedaling will be streets of gold. And, you'll be dodging St. Peter!”
Figure number one was unperturbed. Pulling himself up to his full height, the waste deep water struck him chest high. He slapped the side of his head with the heel of his hand – trying to force river water out of his ears.
“Hush!” yelled the red haired boy with the smiling eyes. He added in a disapproving tone, “You're gonna scare away all the fish!”
He turned towards me.
“Hey Jeep,” he said. “Catching anything?”
As always, Freddie and Shad made a grand entrance.
********
“A binary unicycle? What the heck is a binary unicycle?” I asked incredulously.
Freddie and Shad had exited from the water and were now sitting beside me along with the mud stained remnants of their odd contraption. They were explaining how they ended up careening down the hillside and into Town Lake.
“Well,” said little Freddie, attempting to sound very official, “a binary unicycle combines two independent unicycles within a rigid frame. Together, the combination of unicycles provides more stability and the ability to incorporate two distinct riders.”
“So let me get this straight,” I replied. “You duct taped a unicycle to either end of an aluminum step ladder? Is that about the size of it?”
Freddie nodded.
Looking over at Shad I laughed, “And you let him talk you into riding that thing?”
Big Shad nodded sheepishly.
“Hey, it was going great, until we bounced off the road and started down the hill,” Freddie objected. “It is a major improvement over a standard unicycle. To tell the truth, I believe that the binary unicycle has a great future. Uh… Once I get the kinks worked out. ”
“I think he's right,” Shad agreed, as he wrung water from his tee shirt. “It was much easier to ride. I can't even ride a regular unicycle.”
I bought my hand up and slapped the palm against my forehead.
“I agree with the both of you,” I said shaking my head, “Because I rode my very own binary unicycle over here this morning. Only, I call it a ‘Bicycle!'”
Sudden comprehension splashed across their faces. Freddie looked sheepish, while anger took Shad again. Before Freddie could jump out of reach, Shad leaned in and frogged the redhead on his arm.
“Hey, what was that for?” Freddie moaned rubbing his
shoulder.
“Think of it as a down payment,” Shad replied.
********
As I remember, nobody actually called a meeting of the Rangers that morning. We just all showed up to spend a sunny summer day at the lake. I got there first, followed of course by Freddie and Shad. But, it was not long before Charlie, Thor and Toby came wheeling up in the club's electric golf cart. Since Thor brought along his pole, soon his bobber was floating just down from mine.
Thor Munson is about 5’9” with flowing blond hair and piercing eyes the color of water just before it freezes. If you gave him a metal helmet and an oversized hammer he could pass for a younger version of his namesake – the god of thunder.
Because he is quiet natured, some people mistake Thor for a dumb jock. But, when you get to know him you realize he is just a good listener. He is perfectly happy staying quiet and that makes a great fishing buddy.
Unfortunately, today our quarry was not attracted by Thor’s blond locks, or the bait dangling beneath the surface. It seemed like we were just visiting the fish. But then we spotted a large shadow moving just below the surface and heading straight toward our lines.
Suddenly, a dorsal fin broke the surface between our bobbers. But, the mystery creature ignored our bait offerings. Instead, it picked up speed and shot right for the bank. Then, without warning the front third of the creature punched out of the water and wiggled up onto the mud.
There was no mistaking the blunt pointed head, the soulless black eyes and the rows and rows of razor sharp teeth. It was a three foot killing eating machine; the pinnacle of the food chain and scourge of the Great Barrier Reef.
It was a Great White Shark.
The creature reared back and moved its head from side to side, slowly scanning the area.
And then it spoke.
“How rude,” said the Shark. “You have a club meeting and don't even Text a guy!”
No one replied at first. It wasn't so much the shock of an unexpected encounter with a salt water killer – as it was the embarrassment of having left out our friend.
Finally, I alibied for the group.
“I figured that was you, Bogdon,” I replied. “There aren't many sharks in Town Lake. But, this is not an official meeting or anything. We just all showed up one at a time.”
Freddie yelled over, “Anyway Bog, now you know we are here. Just come on over and join the party.”
“Okay,” said the shark, sounding somewhat less annoyed. “I'm over at the boat ramp. Let me recover Whitey and I'll be there in a jiff.”
The Great White splashed its powerful tail and slowly backed out into the deep water. It hung a sharp u-turn and moving along the surface, it headed off at full speed toward the boat ramp at City Park.
Ten minutes later, Chief Scientist Bogdon Peabody came riding over on his electric scooter.
With mousey brown hair and big black rimmed glasses, Bogdon is pretty average looking. But, don’t let those nondescript looks fool you. Bog is the smartest kid in town. In fact I will wager that Bogdon has forgotten more about quantum physics and electrical engineering than most schools even teach. But he is not some scruffy old lab rat. Bogdon believes in science for fun! And, it is usually his scientific know how that makes Charlie Sinclair’s wilder ideas possible.
On this particular afternoon, about a foot of the radio controlled Great White Shark protruded from the top of Bogdon’s canvas backpack.
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Chapter Four – In the Company of Rangers
Charlie Sinclair is tall
and thin, with dimpled All-American good looks and extra fine sandy hair that attracts female hands like a magnet. No kidding. Women just cannot seem to help themselves. They are compelled to run their fingers through Charlie’s mane. Even my Mom was not immune to whatever compulsive force Charlie’s hair exerts. (But, I finally broke her of the habit!)
Anyway, Charlie also has confident brown eyes that just scream ‘Student Council Leader’, ‘Captain of the Football Team’ or in our case ‘Club President’. And, as our Club President – Charlie normally starts our Ranger meetings by rapping the official gavel on the official club podium. However, since we were at the lake, Charlie called this meeting to order by rapping a full can of Root Beer against the top of his tackle box.
“I hereby call this meeting of Company A of the Granite Falls Rangers to order.”
He turned to Toby.
“Mr. Secretary would you please read the minutes from our last meeting?”
A thoughtful look slipped across Toby’s face and he responded.
“Ah, Mr. President, since we are at the lake and the minutes are still at the club house, I move that we dispense with the minutes and any old business and move right to the new business portion of our meeting.”
“Second!”
“Second!”
Freddie and Shad both raced to ‘Second the motion'. And, because Freddie was a just a hair quicker on the draw – he got to reach over and frog Shad on the arm.
Now, it's really not hard to get a motion passed at a club meeting because Freddie and Shad always have a race to see who can be the first to second every motion. And, the loser always gets frogged. Of course, after seconding the motion, they feel compelled to go ahead and vote for whatever it is. And, since someone has to make the proposal to begin with there's three votes right there. Then, you only need one vote from the remaining four Members: in this case Bogdon, Thor, Charlie or me – and the motion carries.
(That's not always a good thing. That's how we ended up buying a giraffe once upon a time – but that's another story).