The Time Hunters and the Box of Eternity (5 page)

Uncle Percy expression changed. Becky couldn
’
t tell if it was one
of regret or shame.
‘
I tried to build a time machine to take me into the future,
’
he said.
‘
I devoted all my time,
my energies to it. I became obsessed. I thought if I could learn their medical
advancements, I could cure Stephanie. I didn
’
t care about the potentially disastrous
consequences of my actions.
 
Anyway, I
came close to achieving it, but just as I was about to make what I believe was
the final breakthrough, I stopped my experiments and destroyed my research.
’

‘
Why?
’

‘
She asked me to,
’
Uncle Percy said
simply.
‘
She
said that if it was her time, then so be it. She had accepted death.
’
He gave a tremulous
sigh.
‘
Therefore,
reluctantly, I accepted it, too. I still wanted to marry her but she told me to
wait, that one day I would find someone else and that if there was to be a
wedding then that should be my first.
’

Becky fought back the tears.
‘
I am so sorry.
’

‘
That
’
s quite all right, my
dear. It
’
s
important you know why Maria reacted in the way she did. You see, yesterday was
the anniversary of Stephanie
’
s death. And each year, on that day, I return to Mammoth Gorge to
spend time with her. I think that Maria thought perhaps I wouldn
’
t come back …
’

Silence descended over the room.

Slowly, Becky leaned over and cupped her uncle
’
s face in her hands.
‘
And I know you always
will.
’
 
Then she kissed him softly on the cheek,
stood up and silently walked away.

She never did get her phone.

Chapter 6

The Wild Wild Westbrook

Becky tossed and turned for hours before falling into a restless
sleep. It was nearly nine when an ear-splitting squawk sounded in her ear,
followed by a familiar giggle. She shot up to see Joe fleeing the scene, a
disgruntled dodo in his arms. Growling, she crawled out of bed, and jumped into
the coldest shower she could bear. Ten minutes later, she entered the kitchen
to see Uncle Percy, Jacob, Joe and Will sat at the kitchen table.

‘
Good morning,
’
Uncle Percy said.

‘
Morning,
’
Becky croaked back.

Maria stepped away from the oven, waving a sizzling plate of
sausages in her gloved hands.
‘
You be sitting down, please, Miss Becky. Maria wishes to feed you
until you
’
re
as large as a walrus.
’

Becky pulled out a chair, deliberately whacking Joe
’
s shin with the chair
leg as revenge for his earlier prank.

‘
Oww,
’
Joe cried out.

‘
Sorry,
’
Becky mumbled.

From then on, breakfast turned out to be quite pleasant. Uncle
Percy, much to Becky
’
s relief, acted like the previous night
’
s conversation never happened,
as he explained something called Heisenberg
’
s
‘
Uncertainty Principle
’
to Will, who appeared so bored he looked ready to eat his own face.
Maria had never looked happier, barking orders at Jacob and skipping gaily
round the kitchen, replenishing empty plates with food time and time again.
Milly and Sabian tucked hungrily into a towering stack of pork chops and Joe
ate so eagerly that Becky thought he might finish his food and start eating the
plates.

‘
So are we going on a
trip today, Uncle Percy?
’
Joe asked, a half-eaten sausage dangling from his mouth like a
cigar.

‘
I
’
m afraid not,
Joe.
 
I have some important work to
finish in my laboratory today. Tomorrow, however, I think we shall certainly go
somewhere. Where and when would you like to visit?
’

Joe thought hard for a moment.
‘
You know where I
’
d really like to go - to the twelfth century,
to Will
’
s
time … Medieval England.
’
He beamed at Will, whose face seemed impossible to read.
‘
I want to see Sherwood
Forest and meet the merry men.
’

‘
Medieval England?
’
Uncle Percy said,
turning up his nose.
‘
I
’
ve never been that keen on Medieval England. No offence, Will.
’

‘
And none shall be
taken. Twas a dangerous age, Joe. I would imagine you safer elsewhere.
’

Joe shrugged indifferently.
‘
Every time period is dangerous, if you don
’
t treat it with the
respect it deserves. Isn
’
t that what you
’
re always telling us, Uncle Percy?
’

‘
To some extent, yes,
’
Uncle Percy replied
hesitantly.
‘
What about … erm …sixteenth century Florence, we could watch
Leonardo Da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa, which I assure you is quite amusing as
his model was a twenty stone man with a hair lip.
’

‘
It
’
s not that exciting
though,
’
Joe replied. Then his eyes gleamed as another idea popped into his head.
‘
What about that place
in America where that flying saucer crashed in the nineteen forties. I read
about it on Wikipedia.
’

‘
Roswell, New Mexico.
’

‘
Yeah. Didn
’
t they find a couple
of aliens with massive green heads in a spaceship?
’

‘
Oh, they weren
’
t aliens,
’
Uncle Percy replied.
‘
And there was no
spaceship.
’

‘
But something
happened?
’

‘
Oh, something
happened, all right,
’
Uncle Percy chuckled.
‘
But I
’
m afraid the supposed spaceship was, in actual fact, a 1985 Delorean
DMC 12 sports car driven by an Australian time traveller Emmet Lloyd. Apparently,
it had a similar problem to the one Bertha had, a malfunctioning Terriflexor
Condenser, which caused it to crash-land quite spectacularly in the desert.
Unfortunately, the materialisation and subsequent crash were witnessed, and
therein lies the birth of the Alien theory. Anyway, as Emmet lay there,
unconscious, somebody contacted the authorities and both Emmet and his time
machine were taken away. Anyway, when Emmet came round he triggered his
pagidizor and was rescued by Charlie Millport.
’

Becky thought for a moment.
‘
Hang on, wasn
’
t there a film with a Delorean time machine?
’

‘
Was there?
’
Uncle Percy replied.
‘
I haven
’
t seen it. I
’
m rather surprised you
haven
’
t
noticed, but Bowen Hall doesn
’
t have a television set…
’

Once breakfast was over, Becky and Joe made their way to the
stables. Frost glittered like sugar on the surrounding fields and an icy breeze
chilled Becky
’
s nose. As they neared their destination, Becky
’
s heart fluttered. Of
all the amazing creatures at Bowen Hall, it was Pegasus she missed most when
she wasn
’
t
here. After their adventure and until the end of the summer holidays, Becky had
spent each day taking care of her, feeding and grooming her, helping with the
vaccinations, and most of all playing with her, until they had forged a solid,
unbreakable bond. Her pace quickened when she spied the paddock. Then she
spotted a large, powerful creature, three curved horns protruding from its
giant head, lying guard beside the nearest stable door. Gump had grown
considerably taller and wider since they
’
d last seen him and now resembled an armoured
car.

‘
Gumpy!
’
Joe cried

Gump
’
s head twitched with recognition, as Joe raced over and patted the
Triceratops
’
beak-like nose.
‘
Jeez, Gumpy!
’
he exclaimed.
‘
You need to cut back on the pies, mate. For a baby, you
’
re massive.
’

‘
I
’
d say he was
officially a toddler now,
’
Becky said.

As her voice hung in the air, a snowy white head popped round the
stable door, puffing excitedly. Pegasus cantered out of the stable into
daylight.

‘
Peggy!
’
Becky squealed,
wrapping her arms round the foal, feeling her little wings flutter with joy.

Joe smiled.
‘
Is it me or has Peggy grown a fair bit, too?
’

Becky stood back and took a long look.
‘
I think you
’
re right,
’
she said, crouching
down and kissing Peggy
’
s nose.
‘
So have you missed me?
’
 
Then she glared at Gump.
‘
Now what
’
s this about you
fancying Peggy? Just remember, if you mess with her you
’
ll have me to -
’
She didn
’
t even finish her
sentence, when a sudden cool gust of wind blew back her hair; goose pimples shot
up on her neck. She cast Joe a fearful look as a tiny ball of light appeared
above them, growing in size.
‘
Oh, no!
’

Just then, lightning bolts shot all around, disappearing when an
almighty
boom
ripped the air. When Becky
’
s eyes adjusted, she saw a gigantic motorcycle
had replaced the light, its wide chrome handlebars gleaming. An enormous man
sat astride it wearing a heavy black leather jacket, his long bushy brown hair,
speckled with grey, was tied in a ponytail beneath a wide-brimmed coal-black
Stetson hat.

‘
Well, well … what a
nice surprise …
’
the biker growled in a slurred American drawl.
‘
If it ain
’
t little Becky Mellor.
’

Becky was about to turn and run when the biker
’
s face split into a
smile.
‘
You
sure are as pretty as a peach.
’

Confused, Becky replied,
‘
Erm, thank you.
’

‘
Now where
’
s that brother of
yours?
’
He
looked round and his eyes found Joe.
‘
Ah, there he is. Hell, boy, ain
’
t you gettin
’
as big as a mustang!
Howdy to ya.
’

Joe looked stunned.
‘
H-howdy.
’

‘
And you are?
’
Becky asked.

‘
Where are my manners?
’
The biker whipped off
his hat, flung his massive legs over the bike, stood to his full height and
bowed.
‘
I
’
m Bruce, missy. Bruce
Westbrook.
’
Fixing his hat back on his head, he walked over to Becky, his hand
outstretched.
‘
I
’
m an old pal of tha
’
dogoody uncle of yours.
’
Then his gaze fell on Pegasus.
‘
I
’
ll be a wood rat
’
s auntie. The famous Pegasus. Your uncle told me she was a beauty,
but I had no idea.
’
He walked over to Peggy and slowly knelt before her.

‘
She doesn
’
t take kindly to
strangers,
’
Becky warned quickly.

Bruce traced his hand gently across Peggy
’
s back and spoke in a
soft, rhythmic tone.
‘
She
’
s a horse, ain
’
t she? What I don
’
t know
‘
bout horses ain
’
t worth knowin
’
.
’

Joe stared wide-eyed at the motorcycle.
‘
Cool bike!
’

‘
She
’
s a honey, that
’
s for sure,
’
Bruce replied,
getting to his feet.
‘
This here is Sweet Sue. She
’
s a 1983 FLHS Electra Glide Sport Harley
Davidson. In my opinion, the finest ride ever built.
’
His gaze lingered on the
motorcycle before he turned to face Becky and Joe.
‘
Is your uncle around?
’

‘
He
’
s working in his
laboratory,
’
Becky replied.

‘
Okay dokes,
’
Bruce said.
‘
D
’
you guys wanna climb
aboard Sweet Sue and we
’
ll go and have ourselves a little pow-wow with him.
’