Outer Space Mystery (3 page)

Mark waved to the Aldens. “Hey, are you guys coming to the observatory tonight? The sky should be perfect.”

“We’ll be there,” Jessie answered. She was excited about looking through the big telescope.

“Will we see the moon?” Benny wanted to know. He didn’t believe the moon was made of Swiss cheese, but he wanted to make sure.

“You bet,” Mark said. “There are many secrets in the heavens. I might even show you mine!”

With that, he disappeared into the crowd.

At the reception desk, Henry picked up a map showing the trails around the campus.

“The trail we were on isn’t marked,” he said.

“But we know it’s there,” said Violet. “Maybe it’s an old trail nobody is supposed to use anymore.”

Jessie had been thinking. “It’s almost like that trail is a secret.”

“Another mystery to solve!” Benny crowed. “We’re going to be busy this week!”

The evening was cool and clear when the Aldens hiked up the trail to the observatory. Frogs cheeped and crickets chirped along the path. An owl hooted in the distance.

“Whoever said the woods were quiet?” Violet remarked. She was glad when they reached the white building at the top. The owl’s eerie cry made her a little jumpy.

Randy Merchant met them at the door.

“I’m on my way out,” he told them. “Mark is at the ’scope. He’s expecting you.”

He climbed into the school van parked on the side of a narrow road. People who didn’t want to walk the trail could drive up the road instead.

Inside the observatory, the dome was open, allowing the huge telescope to poke into the night sky.

Mark Jacobs stood at the top of a set of rolling metal stairs, adjusting some knobs on the telescope.

“Hi!” he said as he waved them toward the stairs. “Come on up.”

“These steps won’t move, will they?” Jessie wondered nervously.

“The wheels have brakes,” Mark told her. “It’s safe.”

One by one, the children climbed up onto the platform.

Mark moved away from the eyepiece. “Who wants to see Jupiter?”

“I do!” Benny said eagerly. Then he asked, “What’s Jupiter?”

“Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system,” Mark replied. He positioned Benny beneath the eyepiece. “Now, look through there. Do you see a yellowish sphere with grayish stripes?”

Benny stared a moment. Then he cried, “Yes, I do! It’s got a red dot in the center!”

The others took turns peering through the eyepiece.

“Wow!” Henry said, awed. “It looks so close.”

“It isn’t,” Mark said. “It takes Jupiter twelve years to orbit the sun. It’s that far away! Our solar system is made up of several planets that orbit the sun.”

“Like Mars,” Violet continued. “And Venus.”

“Can we see the moon?” Benny asked.

Mark shook his head. “Not yet. Moonrise will be in a little while.”

Violet thought
moonrise
was a beautiful word. She gazed at the sky through the open roof. “There are a zillion stars when you look through the telescope. I can see a lot with just my eyes, but not that many.”

“You can see about two thousand stars on a clear night,” Mark said. “The telescope allows us to see hundreds of thousands more.”

“I want to see outer space!” Benny declared.

Mark laughed. “You’re looking at it! Here’s something else — just wait until I bring it into focus.” He pushed some buttons. The telescope made a whirring sound as it moved very slightly.

This time Jessie looked first. “I don’t see anything.”

“Look to your left,” Mark instructed. “See that bright cluster of stars?”

“Oh!” she said. “They’re so pretty — like jewels.”

“That’s what they are called,” Mark said. “The Jewel Box. If you saw the cluster with the unaided eye, it would appear to be a hazy spot.”

While the others viewed the Jewel Box, Mark told them more about stars. “Before man invented the telescope, he used to stare at the sky. He connected the spaces between the stars with imaginary lines and made pictures of animals or objects. Those pictures are called constellations.”

Now Mark pushed another button. The dome slowly opened wider, revealing more of the night sky.

“There’s a constellation,” Henry said. “The Big Dipper.” He pointed to the ladle-shaped group of stars in the north.

“I don’t see it,” Benny said.

“It’s right up there,” Violet told him. “It looks like a cup with a bent handle.”

“The Big Dipper is a good constellation to know,” said Mark. “The two outer stars of the cup point to the North Star. If you keep the North Star in your sight, you’ll always know which direction you’re going.”

At that moment, footsteps rang on the hardwood floor.

“Is the lecture over, Jacobs?” said a familiar voice.

Mark leaned over the railing. “Hey, Eugene,” he said to the figure standing at the base of the rolling stairs. “Have you met the Aldens?”

“I’ve seen them around,” Eugene said moodily. “You’re on my time, Mark.”

Mark looked at the clock. “I still have two hours.”

“No, you don’t,” Eugene argued. “It’s my turn at the telescope.”

“Astronomers sign up for time,” Mark explained to the children. “We can only work at night, so we sign up a day ahead. But I’m positive I signed up for this block of time.”

Eugene tapped a notebook on the desk against the wall. “Check Randy’s log if you don’t believe me.”

“I will.” Mark took the stairs two at a time. The children followed. At the desk, they all stared at the notebook.

Henry read the entry. “It says, ‘Eugene Scott, nine till twelve.’ ”

Mark shook his head. “I can’t believe I made such a mistake. . . . Well, you kids can stay. The moon will be rising soon. I know Benny wants to see it.”

Eugene clattered up the metal stairs. “I’ve got important work to do. I can’t babysit.”

“It’s time for us to go anyway,” Henry said to Mark. “Thanks for letting us look through the telescope.”

It was obvious Eugene Scott didn’t want them around.

Outside they saw a dashing red sports car in the parking lot.

“That’s Eugene’s car,” Mark said, as he walked the Aldens down the trail. “He rarely walks up here.”

It wasn’t until they were in their dorm room that Henry realized something.

Mark Jacobs hadn’t shown them his secret discovery.

R
ight after breakfast the next morning, the Aldens marched up the mountain to the observatory.

“I think we should take another look at that log,” said Jessie. “There was something odd about the way Eugene Scott made Mark leave. Mark said it was
his
turn.”

“Mark was so sure he put down the right time,” Henry agreed.

An early morning mist drifted among the trees like ghostly scarves.

“It’s spooky up here,” Violet said in a soft voice. “Listen to how quiet it is.”

She was right. No birds sang. Not even a small breeze ruffled the treetops.

“It
is
creepy,” Jessie agreed.

Henry caught his sister’s hand. “I know what you mean.”

“Do you mean creepy like ghosts?” Benny’s eyes grew round. “Is this mountain haunted?”

“No, it’s not,” Henry hastily replied, not wanting to frighten his little brother. “It’s just so quiet.”

At the top of the mountain, the Aldens saw that the parking lot was empty.

“Nobody’s here,” said Benny.

“Let’s try the door anyway.” Jessie went up to the front door and turned the handle. “Hello?” she called down the corridor. “Anybody here?”

“Just us mice!” boomed Randy’s voice. He came out of his office, a clipboard in one hand.

“We didn’t know anyone was here,” Henry said. “Your van isn’t out front.”

“Sometimes I walk up the mountain. Try to get a little exercise. What can I do for you folks?”

Violet spoke up. “We wondered if we could take a look at that log — the one the astronomers sign to use the telescope. Last night Eugene came in and said Mark was using his time.”

“I heard about that,” Randy said, leading them to the sign-in desk. “I’ve never had two scientists sign up for the same clock of time, not since I’ve been keeping the log.” He opened the notebook.

“There it is.” Violet pointed to last night’s entry. “It
does
say Eugene Scott.”

Jessie bent her head closer. “But look — see those marks? It looks like somebody erased a name and wrote Eugene’s name over it.”

Randy studied the page. “Hmmm. You could be right, Jessie. Mark’s name might have been erased. But I don’t know when this could have happened. I’m here all day.”

“Maybe one of the students came in early to change the names,” Henry suggested.

Randy shook his head. “Astronomers rarely get up early. They stay up all night working in the observatory. They usually sleep late.”

As they left, Henry had a thought. Randy was the log keeper.
He
could have changed the names.

On their way into the dining room for lunch, Jessie stopped to read a poster.

“ ‘Party time! Join us for the Perseid meteor shower, tomorrow night in the observatory,’ ” she read aloud.

“What kind of a party is that?” Benny asked.

“Oh, I think you should go,” a voice said behind them. Mark ruffled Benny’s hair. “They’re meteors. Falling stars!”

They found a table by the window. Once more, Mark sat with them.

“Actually, falling stars are not stars at all, but stone fragments,” Mark went on. “When these fragments break through our atmosphere, they leave a tail of light. It’s like watching fireworks.”

Just then Grandfather came in. He pulled up a chair. “I finally got a break from the conference. May I join you?”

“Please do, Mr. Alden,” Mark said. “I was just telling your grandchildren about the upcoming meteor shower.”

“We’re going to see falling stars!” Violet said. “Can we stay up that late?”

“Absolutely,” Grandfather promised. “It isn’t every day you get to see a meteor shower from an observatory.”

Rachel Cunningham came by with menus. When everyone had ordered, she bustled off, but left the menus on the table.

When she came back with a tray full of drinks, Jessie handed her the menus. “You forgot these,” she said.

“I don’t know where my mind is today,” Rachel said. Then she began passing the drinks.

“I didn’t want Coke,” Benny told her. “I ordered ginger ale.”

“And I’m afraid I didn’t ask for iced tea,” Grandfather said apologetically.

Rachel hastily snatched up the wrong drinks. “That’s right — you said you wanted lemonade. I’ll be right back.” She hurried away, nearly tripping over another diner.

“She seems awfully nervous,” Jessie observed.

“I can see why,” Grandfather said. “It’s a lot of extra work for her, taking care of conference people and the summer-school students at the same time.”

“Still,” Mark put in, “Rachel volunteered for the job.”

This time Rachel returned with a tray overloaded with the right drinks and their entrees.

Henry saw the tray dip dangerously and jumped up to help but it was too late.

Grandfather’s tossed salad landed upside down in his lap.

“Oh, no!” Rachel stood rooted to the floor, her gray eyes horrified. “Look what I’ve done!”

Grandfather plucked a radish off his shirt. “It’s all right, dear girl. Not to worry. I’ll go up to my room and change.” Trying to make her feel better, he joked, “I
did
ask for a tossed salad.”

“You don’t understand!” Rachel cried. “I’ve ruined everything!” Wheeling around, she flung the tray on an empty table and ran across the room.

Jessie started after her. “Rachel! Come back!”

But Rachel was already out the door.

Jessie stared at Henry. “I’ve never seen anyone so nervous.”

Henry nodded. “I wonder what could be bothering her.”

The children spent the afternoon exploring the stream that ran alongside the campus. Jessie showed Benny how to make boats out of sticks and leaves. Violet and Henry took pictures of the scenery.

“These should be good enough to enter in a contest,” Henry told Violet. “You’ve got some really nice shots.”

Benny launched a fleet of leaf boats down the rushing creek. “Here comes the navy!” he cried gleefully.