It was light when Jack opened his eyes. The jolting had stopped and the strange putt-putt of the Rescue Craft engine had ceased. Beside him Hezekiah still slept peacefully and Henrietta was also asleep, curled up on the front seat in a sleeping bag. Hugo was close by picking handfuls of grass and twigs and leaves. It was morning and the sign up ahead read ‘Welcome to Alternative Teaching: Keep an Open Mind!’
“I thought we’d stop and refuel,” explained Hugo.
“With grass?” asked Jack.
Hugo stuffed handfuls of the grass and twigs he had collected into a small hole at the side of the Rescue Craft. “I think it takes just about anything,” he said. “Mr Weighty really is a very clever inventor! He’s changed things so that it’ll go just about anywhere and run on just about anything. I’d love to make something like this!”
Jack thought he would too. Imagine having a tractor that would run on grass and leaves and old sticks and twigs and go anywhere! He wished that Grandad was there to see it.
“Umm…where are we exactly?” he asked as he wriggled free of his sleeping bag, trying not to disturb Hezekiah.
Hugo gestured to the sign. “Alternative Teaching,” he said.
That wasn’t exactly what Jack meant. Really he meant to ask why on earth they were still in the middle of Err, and why they weren’t safely at the Weightys’ house, or even back in Aletheia by now.
“I thought we were going back to Aletheia,” remarked Jack. It wasn’t that he was disappointed as much as he was puzzled.
“Oh,” said Hugo with dawning understanding, “didn’t we explain last night? We’re going to keep going and rescue Barmy.”
Jack decided not to comment on that. There wasn’t much he could do about it one way or another and he was secretly pleased that the adventure wasn’t over and that they were going to help Timmy. The morning light had driven away the fears of the night and he definitely liked travelling in Mr Weighty’s Rescue Craft.
“We can have breakfast here,” said Hugo, “when Henry decides to wake up.”
“I am awake!” Henrietta sat up suddenly and rubbed her eyes. “I probably wouldn’t have fallen asleep at all if you’d let me drive!”
“Well, I would hope not!” retorted Hugo. “Or we would all have been in a ditch. But anyway,” he winked at Jack, “I think boys should do all the driving, don’t you Jack?”
There wasn’t a safe answer to that, but Henrietta merely yawned and stretched and pulled herself out of her sleeping bag. “You’re only saying that to annoy me,” she said. “So I won’t be annoyed!”
“Does that mean that I get to drive too?” Hezekiah’s sleepy head appeared and he looked around him with interest. “Where are we?” he asked.
Hezekiah wasn’t bothered that their current location was the small town of Alternative Teaching and that they were even further away from Aletheia than they had been the night before. He had unlimited faith in his two siblings’ decisions, and besides, like Jack, he was pleased that their adventure would continue.
Jack got down from the Rescue Craft and wandered further down the road they were parked beside. Around the next corner were the houses and shops and paved streets of Alternative Teaching.
It was hard to say exactly what was odd about Alternative Teaching. There were small things, subtle differences, just a little here and there that was slightly different to the normal, solid homes that Jack knew and that were in Aletheia. It was a nice place, even a pretty place, and neat and tidy too. But there was a cottage with a triangular window in the wrong place, and a house with a round door, and a chimney poking out of a wall, and other odd little bits and pieces peering from the homes.
“They encourage alternative things here,” remarked Hugo, joining Jack.
“It looks almost normal,” said Jack.
“But it’s not quite right, is it?” said Hugo.
There was a little café by the side of the road in Alternative Teaching and it was open and serving breakfast. There was some debate between Hugo and Henrietta whether it was safe to venture into the café for breakfast, but they had very little choice if they were to eat. Already their stores of food were badly depleted and at last they decided that if they sat at an outdoor table and only ate plain food, they would probably be alright.
“We’ll put on our armour as well,” said Hugo. “Then we’ll really be okay.”
They had enough armour between them, including the spare supplies of armour from Mr Weighty’s Rescue Craft, to all be fully equipped and they approached the small café without concern. Everything felt different during the day. The sun was peeping through the trees that surrounded the small town and birds chirped cheerfully. Gone was the cold and fear of the night. It was just like a dream in the light of the morning sunshine. There was no longer any need to be afraid. In fact, they hardly seemed to need armour at all.
There was the lone figure of a man already seated at an outdoor table of the café and it was only when they reached him that Jack realised with surprise that it was Mr Wonky Dollar. He was wearing a new coat with a big red, silk hanky sticking out of the top pocket. He was drinking from a tall glass that contained strange, dark liquid that bubbled and fizzed as he swirled it around.
“Hello,” said Jack.
Mr Dollar stared at him. “Oh!” he exclaimed. “It’s you, is it? The boy who was kind enough to give me his very interesting Treasure Lego! Join me, dear boy! Yes, your friends too! Anyone who is a friend of this boy is a friend of mine! Sit, sit here, and…Dough!” he yelled, “a drink for my friends! Yes, yes, of course you must have a drink! I’m making big money from the Treasure Lego which I must tell you about! Dough! DOUGH!”
At last a man appeared through the door of the café which was more of a dirty shack than a nice place to eat. ‘Dough’ was a very good name for the man. He was pasty and round and looked like a dough-ball. He waddled very slowly and contemplatively towards them. “I’m not deaf!” he protested. “What’s the hurry? There is no hurry around here!”
He was right. The street was empty. Most folk were still asleep.
“Drinks for my friends here!” insisted Mr Dollar. “And some fresh bread for breakfast too! We’re celebrating a most curious Treasure Lego find, such as Err has never seen before!”
Dough moved slowly off into the interior of the shack muttering something that didn’t sound very complimentary. The café-shack didn’t look very clean inside, and none of them wanted to drink that strange, bubbling dark liquid that Mr Dollar had, or eat the type of bread that a man like Dough was likely to make. And aside from that, was it safe? They had all been warned about eating and drinking the wrong things in Err.
Hugo and Henrietta exchanged glances.
Jack and Hezekiah watched them anxiously.
Now what should they do?
None of the three Wallops present had met Mr Wonky Dollar before but they had seen him now and again in parts of Aletheia and knew enough about him to be curious. He was notorious and they had heard tales of his love of money and his inability to keep it. So it was surprising to learn of his recent good fortune.
“Well,” said Mr Dollar, settling back in the rickety seat outside the café. “That Treasure Lego really did bring me luck you know. I thought it might, I really did; first time I saw it. Red, I said to myself, red treasure will bring me luck!”
That didn’t make much sense at all, to Jack at least. But Mr Dollar was firmly convinced of the worth of a red piece of lego. Hugo, Henrietta and Hezekiah had never seen lego and were most interested in Mr Dollar’s account.
“One thousand Erona coins!” Mr Dollar leaned closer to them, apparently not wanting Mr Dough to hear this spectacular detail. “They’re going to pay me one thousand Eronas for the Treasure Lego!”
Jack stared at him. “Are you sure?” he asked, quite certain Mr Dollar was either wildly exaggerating or badly mistaken.
Wonky Dollar nodded. “I had my fortune told at Wishy-Washy Fair,” he confided. “The mystery lady told me I might make money from the Treasure Lego and that I should have it examined at the Academy of Science-Explains-All. And she was right!”
“Was the mystery lady called Wander Palm?” asked Hezekiah.
“Yes, yes!” agreed Mr Dollar. “That’s her. Lovely lady! I’m going to give her a share of my new fortune too!”
Hezekiah and Jack exchanged incredulous glances. They would not have described Ms Wander Palm as a ‘lovely lady’.
Mr Dough returned and placed a big jug of the strange dark, sparkling liquid and four glasses on the table. Then he added a fresh loaf of bread, butter, jam, and five plates and knives. Mr Dollar fumbled in his pockets, clanking his treasure boxes and reluctantly removing a handful of coins to pay Mr Dough. Then he carefully shoved the treasure boxes deep into his pockets again. “I got an advance on the one thousand Eronas I’m owed,” he said. “Some of the coins already flew away, but I won’t lose them again!”
“But who bought the piece of lego?” asked Jack, still feeling bewildered.
“The Academy of Science-Explains-All!” said Mr Dollar. His face took on a cunning expression. “I had a feeling it was an unusual find, very unusual! And the mystery lady helped me see I should take it to the Academy who immediately realised its worth and bought it from me!”
“I’ve heard of the Academy,” said Hugo. “They don’t believe in the Bible there.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Mr Dollar, “but they’re very clever people!”
“And what will the Academy do with it?” asked Jack.
“They’re going to analyse it!” said Mr Dollar. “Do you know that the Treasure Lego is likely to be millions of years old? Why, they think it probably belonged to a pre-historic civilisation!”
“I don’t think so,” said Henrietta. “God made the world10. There’s nothing in the world that’s millions of years old!”
“Really I should have charged more for it,” said Mr Dollar. He was contemplating the worth of the ‘Treasure Lego’ whilst Jack tried to understand how on earth such a silly mistake could have occurred.
“I don’t think the lego is millions of years old,” he said.
“Definitely not,” agreed Hugo.
“My dear boy,” said Mr Dollar, “you have no idea! The Academy has some very clever scientists! They know all about these things! What would you know compared to them?”
He had a good point of course, and Hugo fervently wished he’d paid more attention to the Creation teacher at school, or that he could call on Mr and Mrs Markerpen, the Outpost Rescuers who worked in the towns around the Academy of Science-Explains-All. He needed to know so much more before he could hope to help a man like Mr Dollar who was naturally going to believe the scientists and even this mystery teller woman rather than children.
“It was made in a factory somewhere,” said Jack. “Maybe it was made in England or China or somewhere, but it was probably only made a few years ago!”
Hezekiah giggled inadvertently and then put his hand over his mouth.
Mr Dollar shook his head indulgently. Nothing seemed to dampen his spirits. “You kids should leave it to the experts,” he advised.
“God is the expert!” said Henrietta.
Mr Dollar took no notice of Henrietta.
“But now,” he said, and he leaned expectantly towards Jack. “What I’m thinking is this. We could go into business together, you and me. You bring in Treasure Lego to Err, and I’ll sell it to the Academy for millions of Eronas!”
Jack shook his head, thinking how crazy the whole conversation was. In any case, surely the scientists would find out at any moment that the piece of lego had ‘Made in China’ or ‘Made in England’ printed on the back! Perhaps Jack should bring the lego box back to Err to show them their mistake.
“I don’t think it would work,” said Jack, wanting to let Mr Dollar down gently.
“The whole idea is absolutely rotten bananas!” said Henrietta bluntly.
Hugo kicked her under the table.
“Ow!” she exclaimed. “What did you do that for?”
“Millions of Eronas to be made,” said Mr Dollar, taking no notice of the altercation between the twins. “Now, you must all eat up!” encouraged Mr Dollar, focussing mainly on Jack. He still thought that he could persuade him to cooperate with his business schemes. He poured the dark liquid into the glasses and cut up the bread, distributing it around the table.
Hugo was eyeing the strange drink as if he would like to tip it away without Mr Dollar observing.
“Come on now,” said Mr Dollar, “I’ve paid good money for this!”
Jack politely but reluctantly picked up the glass and took a sip. Hugo did the same, inadvertently taking a big gulp of the drink. They felt sorry for Mr Dollar, and after all, he was only trying to be kind. Hezekiah looked wide-eyed and, when Mr Dollar wasn’t looking, he managed to tip some of his drink onto the ground. His eyes widened even more when the grass the drink landed on sizzled and hissed and began shrivelling and turning brown. Very anxiously Hezekiah watched Jack and Hugo’s reaction to what they had swallowed.
The drink was sour and sickly and flavoured with something earwigs might taste of. Perhaps Mr Dough had put earwigs into his drinks in the untidy shack. The drink made Hugo and Jack feel peculiar in their heads and their helmets suddenly felt too tight. Worse still, Jack was certain he saw shadows stealing from behind the big tree close by and edging towards them. Had the Snares come back again…?
“What else do you have in your pockets just now, my boy?” asked Mr Dollar. “Show me again! There might be something else we could use to make more money! There’s no point in waiting until you can bring lots of Treasure Lego back to Err! We need to seize opportunities now!”
Jack slowly removed the contents of both of his pockets. He felt hot and slow and sleepy. On the table he placed his spy watch and the only other thing he had left: Mr Duffle’s other carved stick, the one that Timmy had thrown away and Jack had picked up. Jack stared at the small stick. He had forgotten all about it. He could have used it to help Timmy fight the Snares last night!
Mr Dollar picked up Mr Duffle’s stick and quickly threw it straight back onto the table with an astonished exclamation. “It burnt me!” he said. “Whatever is it?”
Henrietta leaned forward, equally astonished. Yes, there really was an angry red mark on Mr Dollar’s hand where he had picked up the stick.
Jack felt befuddled and strange and Hugo looked as if he was crossing his eyes and falling asleep. Henrietta, who had not had any of the dangerous drink, gave Hugo a sharp kick under the table.
“Wake up!” she hissed at him.
Hugo sat up sharply and glared at his sister. “I feel weird,” he said. “I’m just tired!” But then he looked more closely at the small stick that had burned Mr Dollar’s hand. “I’ve seen something like that before,” he said. “I wonder…”
“I wonder…” Mr Dollar said too, staring at the stick and looking most intrigued. “I wonder if they would buy this down at Drink-n-Drugs-Upon-Hollow. They like strange concoctions down there…I wonder…”
Jack picked up the stick. It felt perfectly normal. “I don’t think they’ll like this down there,” he said, certain about that.
“You might be right,” said Mr Dollar. “After all it burns! You’re very brave to carry that around with you!”
Jack looked at the stick in his hand. It didn’t burn him; it felt just right there.
And then Hezekiah reached forward and took the stick from Jack, and, as if he knew perfectly well what he was doing, he calmly dropped the stick into the jug of sparkling, dark liquid which he felt sure was full of danger.
WHOOSH!
There was a sudden explosion as some of the drink shot straight into the air!
“Flying Hens!” Mr Dollar exclaimed in astonishment. “Perfumed Pigs!”
They all watched as the drink bubbled and fizzed and wildly protested at the presence of the stick, and at last subsided into clear, harmless water. And just as strangely, the liquid in their glasses changed to harmless water too. Jack wondered if he only imagined it or if he really did hear the Snare shadows he had seen creeping towards them hissing softly in fear and disappointment.
“Dancing Cows!” said Mr Dollar. “I’ve never seen anything like it! Give me the stick! They’ll pay good money for this at the Academy!”
But the small stick was completely gone. It had melted into the dark liquid and Jack took a sip of harmless water from his glass. It wasn’t pure Water of Sound Doctrine, but he knew perfectly well it could no longer do him or anyone else any harm.
Mr Dollar looked disappointed when nothing spectacular happened to Jack when he drank the water. He had wondered whether Jack might grow wings or turn green and he would have none of it himself. “Where did you get the stick?” he urged. “Tell me about the stick!”
“A man in Aletheia gave it to me,” said Jack. “He’s called Mr Duffle and lives at Run-the-Race Retirement Complex.”
“Is he a magician?” asked Mr Dollar.
“No,” said Jack, “he prays. I think he prays a lot, and I think he prays when he carves sticks. That’s why things happen with his sticks.”
“Just as I thought!” exclaimed Hugo. “There are sticks like that in the Rescuer’s Kit in the Rescue Craft. They come from people who are praying and represent the power of prayer! You are clever to think of dropping it in the drink, Zek!”
Hezekiah coloured with pleasure; secretly he was as surprised as any of them at the spectacular reaction of the stick.
Mr Dollar only looked puzzled at Hugo’s explanation. “Prayer?” he echoed doubtfully. “I’ve heard people pray before but it’s never been anything like that!”
They didn’t really know how to explain the invisible power of prayer to Mr Dollar, and at last they left him at the table of the wayside café and prepared to return to the Rescue Craft.
“I still wish you had another piece of that Treasure Lego,” said Mr Dollar as they parted.
The four travellers walked very thoughtfully through the quiet town of Alternative Teaching and back to the Craft. They felt defeated, as if they hadn’t made the right impression on Wonky Dollar at all; they hadn’t really been able to help him understand anything.
“You know,” said Henrietta as they all climbed aboard the Craft once more, “there’s definitely more to rescuing people than I ever thought there would be!”
“We don’t have all the answers we need to help people,” admitted Hugo.
“I think we need to know the Bible better,” said Hezekiah.
“We need to learn to pray like Mr Duffle,” said Jack.
He knew that Mr Duffle would know how to help a man like Mr Dollar. Mr Duffle, confined to the Run-the-Race Rest Home as he was, was still helping to rescue people in Err. And in the end it was Mr Duffle’s prayers that had left the lasting impression on poor Wonky Dollar.