Chapter 4
An enormous machine stood before them, glinting in the fluorescent light like a sports car in a showroom. It was the same size and shape as the school bus that stood in the next stall but it was a sleek, modern version. The front however, resembled a passenger jet with its rounded nose and small windows set high. A door near the front was open and, as the boys approached, they could see stairs leading inside. They were upholstered in a plush, light-orange carpet. Underneath the fantastic bus, the tyres were rather small, and were almost lost beneath the mammoth machine.
“Wow!” was all Nick could think to say.
“It’s about time they upgraded that old rattle-trap,” said Bill, referring to the existing school bus. “This baby looks super-sonic!”
Nick climbed the steps and looked in astonishment at the space-age instrument panel that sprawled across the front. Knobs, levers, buttons and dials of all descriptions dotted the console. Where the steering wheel ought to be was a control stick that looked just like the one in the 747 aeroplane they had seen during a visit to the British Transport museum earlier that year.
“Looks like some kind of jet, or maybe a space bus,” offered Bill, following closely.
Inspecting the controls, Nick noticed that there were several computer screens. All were blank except for the one closest to the pilot’s chair. Four words were printed across the screen, followed by a flashing cursor.
Ignition sequence. Enter password:
Bill sat down and held the control stick. “This is so cool!” he said, pretending to fly the massive craft. He did not notice that there was a tweed jacket slung over the back of the seat.
“Hey Bill, isn’t this Hippo’s jacket?” asked Nick.
“I was wondering what that smell was,” said Bill, pulling a face. “Hey, what’s this?”
A piece of paper was sticking out of the top pocket. Bill pulled it out and read it aloud. “Aston Martin, Ferrari, Rolls Royce. I didn’t know he was into those,” he said, trying to picture his Geography teacher in a classic sports car.
“What else does it say?” asked Nick.
“Well there are £ signs all over the place, then it reads: ‘Fishing boat, Rolex, and then this weird bit: X=Au=£££’s. And right at the bottom, it says ‘H. Griffin & Sons’. I wonder what that means.”
“Looks like a shopping list,” said Nick.
“No way he gets paid that much!” exclaimed Bill. “If he does then my Mom is going to ask for a refund on my school fees!”
“Let me see,” said Nick. Bill handed him the piece of paper. Nick studied it very carefully then added, “There’s a date next to H. Griffin & Sons, look.” Nick passed the paper back to Bill, pointing in the bottom corner. “Friday, 13 October—5pm.”
“Hey, that’s tomorrow!” said Bill quickly. He put the slip of paper into his pocket. “I’ve got a feeling we’re going to need this.”
“We had better get going,” said Nick. “If we get caught here, we’re history.”
“But what are we going to do about all this?” asked Bill, starting to get worried.
“First we find out who H. Griffin & Sons are. We’ll look it up on the Internet when we get back to your place. Then we decide, OK?”
“Uh, OK, sure,” muttered Bill, not sounding sure at all.
By the time they got home, Bill had calmed down considerably. They turned Bill’s computer on and logged onto the Internet. Nick typed ‘H. Griffin & Sons’ into a search engine and clicked on the first link that came up. When the page loaded, his jaw dropped and almost hit the floor. Bill put his hand over his mouth to stifle a gasp. The boys looked at each other, too shocked to say anything.
They decided that they had no choice but to tell the Headmaster. They went to see him first thing the following morning to report the previous night’s events. The only time Mr. Winiger showed any real surprise was when Nick said that they had solid proof that Mr. Hipobaum was planning to destroy the school. You see, H. Griffin & Sons were a demolition company based in the nearby village of Ash Green. They specialised in flattening large buildings like schools and hospitals. Nick and Bill read all about it on the website.
“See for yourself, Sir,” pleaded Nick, handing Mr. Winiger the slip of paper they had found in Mr. Hipobaum’s jacket pocket.
“I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this boys,” said Mr. Winiger. “And this is your last warning to respect the boundaries of this school. You do realise that I could expel you for trespassing, don’t you?”
Nick and Bill looked down and nodded. Bill was terrified of being expelled and Nick just didn’t want the Headmaster to see the frustration on his face. He was furious that they should get into trouble for uncovering a plot to destroy their school and he was determined to expose Mr. Hipobaum. When neither of the boys said anything, Mr. Winiger continued.
“I asked your Geography teacher to check on the new school bus because he happens to know an awful lot about engines. That is why he was in the shed. I don’t want to hear any more of this nonsense about the school in danger of being destroyed. Now run along before I change my mind and write letters to your parents.” Although he tried his best to sound stern, there was a slight tremble in Mr. Winiger’s voice that did not escape Nick.
“This stinks!” grumbled Bill as soon as they were out of earshot.
“You’ve got that right, Bill,” said Nick. “He’s worried about something.”
“What are we going to do then? I really don’t want to be expelled!”
“We are not letting this one go,” promised Nick “If old Hippo wants to blow up the school, I am not going to let him get away with it.”
“We’re pushing our luck with Mr. Winiger though,” warned Bill. “We’ll have to be extra careful.”
“I know we do, mate. But we are running out of time. We have to go back to that shed.”
“Oh boy, I was afraid you’d say that,” said Bill. “Lunchtime?”
“Yes,” affirmed Nick. “Lunchtime. They would probably notice if we weren’t in our lessons. In the meantime, I want to find out what he meant by that strange formula X=Au=£££’s.”
Bill thought about it for a moment. “Well, X could be just about anything. Probably has something to do with, what did you say yesterday, Planet X?”
“That’s it!” said Nick. “It must be Planet X, whatever that is. £££’s obviously means lots and lots of money but what is Au?”
That really had them puzzled. The morning seemed to drag on forever and the two novice detectives could hardly concentrate on their work. Eventually, the lunch bell went and Nick and Bill met up on the playground. On the way there, they had seen Mr. Winiger enter Mr. Hipobaum’s office looking rather agitated. At least the coast was clear for them to get to the shed unseen. When they got there, they quickly climbed through the open window and walked over to the metal box on the wall. Bill entered the code once again, 9 – 8 – 9 – 8 – 2 – * and the door opened as before. They slipped under the gap and quickly shut it again.
“Oh, no!” exclaimed Bill suddenly, “My sandwiches, I’ve left them on top of the metal box!”
He reached for the lever that opened the door from the inside and just as he was about to pull it, Nick grabbed his arm.”
“Wait!” hissed Nick.
“Wha …” Bill tried to speak but Nick clamped his hand over Bill’s mouth.
“Shhhh!” said Nick, a little quieter. “Listen.”
They could hear voices approaching. It sounded like an argument. A cold chill ran down Nick’s back as he realised who the voices belonged to. It was Mr. Hipobaum and the Headmaster, and neither of them sounded happy. Bill’s eyes widened in fright while Nick, still not letting go of Bill, looked around frantically for a place to hide. Besides the bus, there was not much else in the shed so their options for hiding places were limited. Nick ran to a cabinet in the corner. It was quite small but there was a chance they could fit inside. They could hear the voices very clearly now, coming from right outside the door.
“… and if you think you are going to keep all of that money for yourself then you are sorely mistaken!”
“No, no, Headmaster, that piece of paper is not mine, I promise! They are making it all up!”
“I am not a fool, Henry. How would a couple of nine-year-olds know that Au is the chemical symbol for gold? They only learn that kind of thing much later.”
Nick tried the first door of the cabinet. It was locked. The second was locked too but the third and final door opened. He looked inside but the cabinet was packed with tools and various gadgets that he did not recognise. They heard the code being typed into the keypad. They only had seconds before the door opened. They would be discovered and then expelled for sure. Frantic with worry, Nick looked around for another hiding place and suddenly realised that he couldn’t see Bill anywhere.
“Bill!” he whispered as loudly as he dared. There was a loud click and the door opened, but there was still no sign of Bill. Just then, he heard a low whooshing sound and saw that a side panel on the bus was sliding open. Bill came running down the stairs and dived into the compartment that had opened up, yanking Nick in after him. As they tumbled in, Nick could just see two pairs of hands pulling open the main shed door and Bill noticed that there were two oversized suitcases sharing the narrow space with them. Both had tags that read ‘H.H.’ As the shed door tilted open, Bill pulled the hatch door shut. Then everything went black.