by Adele Abbott
“Don’t worry. I will.”
“By the way, it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting free electricity.”
“Why not? Have you changed your mind about the wind turbines again?”
By the time I’d told Jack all about the Oodahs and their attempts to get a foothold on earth, he was open-mouthed.
“No wonder the Normals have been acting kind of weird. Will they be okay?”
“Yeah. According to Lorna, they’ll be fine once they’ve been deprogrammed.”
“I always thought the scheme sounded too good to be true.”
“Me too. The whole thing was obviously dodgy.”
“Absolutely.”
We had soup for starters. I wasn’t sure what kind it was, but it was delicious.
“Jill tells me you’re a policeman, Jack,” Martin said.
“That’s right. I used to be based here in Washbridge, but I work out of West Chipping now.”
“The two of you have really exciting jobs. I’m afraid mine is rather boring by comparison.”
“What is it you do?” Jack asked.
“I’m a wizard.”
I almost spat out my soup.
“At computers. I’m a computer programmer.”
Phew!
“What about hobbies and interests?” Martin said. “What do you two like to do? Jill?”
“I don’t have any. I’m so busy with work that I don’t really get the chance to do anything else.”
“Jack, what about you?”
“I love ten-pin bowling. I’ve won several trophies.”
“Martin isn’t interested in your—”
“I’d love to see them,” Martin gushed. “I’m a big fan of ten-pin bowling.”
“Really?” Jack’s face lit up. “We must have a game some time.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
Jack was on a roll now. “And recently, I’ve got into model railways.”
“No way! I love model railways.”
Oh boy. This was turning into a mutual lovefest.
“I actually have one set up in the spare bedroom if you’d like to see it.”
“Definitely. Maybe we could do that after dinner?”
I couldn’t make my mind up if Martin was genuinely interested in ten-pin bowling and model railways, or if he was just sucking up to Jack. Either way, when the meal was over, I volunteered to tidy up while Jack took Martin upstairs to show him his bowling trophies and model railway.
Thirty minutes later, the three of us were back in the lounge, enjoying a cup of coffee.
“How long do you expect to stay in Washbridge, Martin?” Jack asked.
“I’m not sure. I’m actually considering moving here permanently, to be near the family I didn’t know that I had.”
“What about your job?”
“I can get a job anywhere. Computer programmers are always in demand.”
“Are you in a relationship?” I asked.
“No. I was until recently, but it didn’t work out, so now there’s nothing to keep me down there.”
Jack and I went outside to see Martin off.
“I thought that all went very well,” Jack said, as my brother drove away. “He seems like a really great guy.”
“Hmm.” Almost too good to be true.
Chapter 23
It was Saturday morning and I was looking forward to the lazy day ahead. Jack was off work too, so after a leisurely morning, I thought we’d probably go out for lunch, followed by a little shopping. He’d gone downstairs a few minutes before and was probably preparing breakfast in bed for me.
Fifteen minutes later, though, there was still no sign of him or my breakfast, so I went downstairs to find out what he was up to. I found him sitting at the kitchen table.
“I thought you were making breakfast in bed for me.”
He gulped down a mouthful of muesli. “Sorry, I had intended to, but then I got a call from Martin.”
“My Martin?”
“Yes. He asked if I fancied a game of bowling this morning.”
“Oh?”
“I said yes. I didn’t think you’d mind. You don’t, do you?”
“Err, no, of course not.”
“He also suggested that we could pop into that new model railway shop that’s opened near the marketplace afterwards.”
“What time will you be back home?”
“I’m not really sure. Mid-afternoon, probably.”
“Right.”
Having finished his muesli, he dashed upstairs to get changed, and twenty minutes later, he’d left.
So much for my plans.
Don’t get me wrong, I was pleased that Jack and Martin had hit it off, but it would have been nice for Jack and me to do something together.
Still, not to worry. I could have an enjoyable day by myself. The weather was beautiful, so I thought I might nip to the corner shop, treat myself to a bottle of wine and some chocolates, and then sunbathe in the garden. A relaxing day, doing absolutely nothing, was just what the doctor ordered.
My phone rang.
“Kathy, you’re going to have to speak slower. I can’t make out a word you’re saying.”
“Lizzie has gone missing! I’ve no idea where she is. I don’t know what to do, Jill.”
This was déjà vu. It was only a week or so since Mikey had disappeared. On that occasion, it had turned out that he’d climbed a beanstalk and was being held captive by a giant. Fortunately, I’d been able to rescue him before the giant had eaten him.
Could Lizzie have climbed another beanstalk? If so, she would be in mortal danger.
“Jill, did you hear me?” Kathy yelled down the phone. “You have to help me!”
“Don’t worry. Everything’s going to be okay. I’ll be straight over.”
Without stopping to think about the consequences, I magicked myself over to Kathy’s. When I walked in the house, she did a double-take.
“How did you get here so quickly?”
Oh bum! I’d been so eager to help that I hadn’t considered how it would look when I turned up a few seconds after we’d ended the call.
“I—err—I was out for a walk. I was only a couple of streets away when you called. Where’s Peter?”
“He and Mikey have gone fishing. I tried to call Pete, but it looks like he doesn’t have a signal.”
“When did you last see Lizzie?”
“She was playing in her bedroom. When I went to ask if she wanted a drink, thirty minutes ago, she’d disappeared.”
“Let’s go and check the garden.”
“I’ve already looked. She isn’t there. That was the first place I checked.”
“Has Peter been sowing any more of those seeds he bought?”
“Seeds? No. Why are you talking about seeds? Come on, we have to go and look for Lizzie.”
“Sorry.” I followed her out onto the street.
“You go that way, Jill. I’ll go this way. If you find her, call me straight away.”
“I will.”
I started to walk slowly down the street but as soon as Kathy was out of sight, I doubled back and returned to the house. Even though there was no sign of a beanstalk in the garden, I simply couldn’t shake the idea that Lizzie might somehow have found her way up to the giant’s castle. But how was I supposed to get up there without a beanstalk to climb? I already knew that levitation wouldn’t work—it had failed miserably the last time.
Come on, Jill. Think! There must be a way to get up there.
And then it came to me.
I magicked myself to Washbridge city centre, and went in search of my good friend, the balloon man. He wasn’t difficult to find. This time he was blocking the pavement outside The Sea’s The Limit.
“Hi, there.” I treated him to my extra-special smile.
“Not you again.” He scowled. “I told you last time that I have every right to be here.”
“Of course you do. I feel like we might have got off on the wrong foot la
st time.”
My sudden about-face had clearly thrown him, and he was eyeing me suspiciously.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Buddy.”
“That’s a great name. I’m Jill Maxwell. Look, Buddy, I happen to be in the market for some balloons today.”
“How many do you want?”
“All of them.”
“Is that some kind of joke?”
“No, I’m deadly serious. How much would you take for all of your balloons?”
“There’s one-hundred and seven of them.”
“Wow! That’s very precise.”
“Do you want them or not?”
“Yes.”
“They’re two-pounds each, so that’ll cost you two-hundred and fourteen pounds.”
“Surely I must get a discount for quantity?”
“Five per cent.”
“Twenty.”
“Ten.”
He thought about it for a moment, and then nodded.
“Great.”
With our negotiations concluded, I still had one minor problem to resolve. To be sure that I ended up at the giant’s castle, I’d need to launch from Kathy’s back garden.
“Hey, Buddy, can I borrow your boots?”
“No, you can’t.”
“Go on. I can let you have them back later today.”
“You can hire them for the afternoon for twenty quid.”
“That’s daylight robbery.”
“Please yourself.”
What choice did I have? If I tried to take hold of the balloons without the boots on my feet, I’d float away.
“Okay. Twenty quid it is, but we’ll have to coordinate the handover very carefully.”
“Shouldn’t that be the footover?” He laughed.
Everyone’s a comedian.
“Come with me.” I led the way down a quiet alleyway. He followed much more slowly because he was weighed down by his boots.
“Okay,” I said. “Take off one of your boots and I’ll put it on.”
He did as I said. Fortunately, Buddy had small feet, so the boot was a reasonable fit, but it weighed a ton.
“Now, hand over the balloons.”
As soon as I had them, they began to pull on my arms. It was all I could do to hold onto them.
“Now pass me the other boot.”
Once I was wearing the second boot, I felt much more secure.
“When will I get my boots back?” he asked.
“I can meet you outside Coffee Games later. Say four o’clock?”
“Okay, but you’d better turn up. I can’t run my business without those boots.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be there.”
As soon as he’d gone, I magicked myself over to Kathy’s house. Fortunately, she was nowhere to be seen; no doubt she was still out on the streets, searching for Lizzie.
It was hard going because the boots were so heavy, but I eventually managed to make my way to the part of the garden where the beanstalk had once stood. Once there, I slipped off both boots and immediately began to float skywards.
It was all rather scary, but after a few minutes, I broke through the clouds. The next part was going to be even more hairy. What would happen when I let go of the balloons? Would I be able to walk on the clouds like last time, or would I plummet back to earth? There was only one way to find out.
Phew! I was okay.
Unlike on my previous visit, the gates to the giant’s castle were open wide, and above them was a new sign that read: Welcome, everyone.
This was all very weird. Very weird indeed. Cautiously, I crept inside.
“Hi there.” A booming voice came from somewhere deep within the hall.
“Hello?” I edged a little further inside.
That’s when I spotted a giant sitting on the stone throne, but it wasn’t the same giant I’d encountered on my previous visit. This one was much younger and appeared to have a bad case of acne.
“Come on in!” he bellowed. “Don’t be shy.”
Was this some kind of elaborate plot to lull me into a false sense of security? I would need to be very careful.
“I’m okay over here, thanks.”
“Don’t be silly. Come nearer. I don’t bite.”
Cautiously, I moved a few steps closer. “You weren’t here the last time I came,” I said.
“I’ve only recently bought the castle. My name’s Teddy.”
“What happened to the guy who used to live here?”
“Harold? He’s retired. He’s bought an apartment by the sea, I believe.”
“He wasn’t very friendly.”
“I heard he could be a bit grumpy.”
“Grumpy? He used to eat little children. He was going to eat my nephew until I rescued him.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I would never do anything like that. The first thing I did when I moved in was to order the Beaners to stop handing out those awful seeds.”
“That’s good to hear. The reason I’m here today is because my young niece has gone missing now, and I thought maybe she’d found her way up here too.”
“I haven’t seen her.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. You’re the first visitor I’ve had in days.”
“In that case, I’d better get back below and carry on looking for her.”
“Won’t you stay for tea and cake? I have some lovely buns.”
“I’d love to, but I’m really worried about Lizzie. I’m just not sure how I’m going to get back down.”
“I might be able to help with that.” He climbed down from his throne. “Follow me.”
The giant led the way back along the same path I’d come in on, and after a few minutes, he pointed over the hedge at a hot air balloon. “Would that help?”
“It would have, but the balloon has deflated.”
“I can sort that out.” He reached over the hedge, picked up the hot air balloon, and placed it on the path. Then, he began to blow up the balloon, which after no more than a couple of minutes was fully inflated. “Hop on board.” He held out his hand for me to climb into the basket. “All set?”
“Yes, I think so.”
“Good luck. I hope you find your niece safe and well. Do come back and see me again when you have more time.”
“Will do. Thanks, Teddy.”
The balloon began to climb, so I let out some air, causing it to descend through the clouds. More by luck than judgement, I landed in Kathy’s back garden. After deflating the balloon, I pushed it and the basket behind the bushes. I could sort that out later once I’d found Lizzie.
I was just about to head back out onto the road when I happened to glance up at the bedroom window. Who should be standing there, looking out at me, but Lizzie.
I rushed into the house and upstairs.
“Lizzie, are you okay?”
“Yes, thank you, Auntie Jill.”
“Your mummy has been worried sick about you.” I picked up the phone and called Kathy. “It’s me. I’ve found her. She’s safe and sound.”
“Thank goodness.” I could hear the tears in her voice. “Where is she?”
“Back at the house. In her bedroom.”
A few minutes later, Kathy came running upstairs, grabbed Lizzie and gave her a big hug. “Where have you been, Pumpkin? I’ve been so worried about you.”
“I saw a pussy cat and followed it, to see where it lived.”
“You must never do that again without telling me.”
“Sorry, Mummy.”
***
I was in my back garden, enjoying what was left of the afternoon. I couldn’t be bothered to go to The Corner Shop for wine and chocolates, so I had to make do with a cup of tea and a custard cream or ten.
“It looks like you’ve had a lazy day.” Jack came over and gave me a peck on the lips.
“Something like that. How did it go with Martin?”
“Great. I’ve really enjoyed it.”
“By that, I assume you won at bowling?”
“I did, but only just. He’s not half bad. I only just took the last game to win the match.”
“He probably let you win.”
“No, he didn’t. He wanted the win just as badly as I did.”
“I hope he’s a better loser than you.”
“I’m not a bad loser.”
“Hmm. Have you spent all of our savings on toy trains?”
“They aren’t toys, and the only thing I bought was a new signal box. Martin reckons he’s going to indulge himself in a model railway if he decides to stay in Washbridge.”
“Did you get the impression he will? Stay here, I mean?”
“I reckon so. Anyway, what have you been up to?”
“I went to a giant’s castle and had a ride in a hot air balloon. Just the usual stuff.”
Chapter 24
I’d assumed that the broom flying display would take place somewhere quiet, like Candlefield Common, but that was because I was totally unaware word of the event had spread so quickly that it had turned into a really big deal. So big in fact, that it was now to be held at the Range.
Aunt Lucy, Lester and the twins had all said they were going, and I’d agreed to meet them at Aunt Lucy’s house. When I arrived there, Amber and Pearl began to giggle.
“What’s tickling you two?”
“Nothing,” Pearl spluttered. “We were just admiring the smell of your hair shampoo.”
“What kind do you use?” Amber asked. “Whatever it is, it smells doggone good.”
At that, the two of them dissolved into hysterics.
I glared at Aunt Lucy who at least had the good grace to look suitably embarrassed at her betrayal.
“Where are the little ones?” I asked the twins.
“The guys are looking after them for the day. We wanted to come and see how you got on. It’s bound to be a good laugh.”
“I can only do my best.”
“Your best won’t be good enough for Grandma,” Amber said. “If Ma Chivers’ troupe wins today, you’ll be toast.”
She was right and I knew it. The fact that I had no idea I’d be taking part until yesterday would carry no weight with Grandma. If we lost, it would no doubt be my fault.
When we arrived at the Range, one half of the arena was full of cages containing a number of wild animals.