The Time Hunters (Book 1 of the acclaimed series for children of all ages) (23 page)

‘A-awesome,’ Joe stammered, half-impressed,
half-petrified.

Becky’s face had turned the colour of porridge.

‘Right,’ Uncle Percy said calmly, throwing the rifle
to the ground. ‘We have precisely twenty minutes. I suggest we get busy.’

‘That sure looks like a T Rex?’ Joe blustered.

‘Well, they are very much alike, Joe,’ Uncle Percy
said, swinging the Molivator into position. ‘Tyrannosaurus Rex was slightly
bigger, of course, and relatively more intelligent, but there are similarities.
In point of fact, the Megalosaurus was the very first recorded fossil ever
discovered in 1676… Are you okay, Becky?’

Becky let out a muffled squeak. Now was not the time
for a history lesson.

‘She’s fine,’ Joe said.
 

Uncle Percy entered two digits onto the Molivator’s
keypad. ‘Three hundred feet down should do the trick. Now, stand well back,
please.’

Becky watched as eight paddles emerged from the
Molivator’s outer shell, until it resembled a spider wearing flippers. Then
with a
clack
, the paddles rotated at incredible speed. Faster and faster
they spun. They attacked the earth and started to dig.

In no time at all, it had disappeared beneath the
ground, scattering heavy chunks of soil at Becky’s feet. Within minutes, a
mound of earth the size of a small haystack had formed. The Molivator crawled
out and fell still.

‘There we go,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Joe, Becky, would
you do the honours?’ And he passed over the kitbag.

Hesitantly, Joe took it. ‘May we have a peek first?’
he asked tentatively.

‘Of course, but be quick. Harold will be waking up
soon.’

Becky’s eyes flitted from the unconscious Megalosaurus
to the bag. Then she knelt down next to Joe, who slowly unzipped it.
 
Becky and Joe looked down at the Fleece,
their features bathed in a golden hue.

Becky’s heart fluttered. She had never seen anything
like it. It was magnificent.
Stunning.
The prettiest
thing she had ever seen. However, she also knew what it represented. It was the
reason her dad had been taken from her, the reason Bernard Preston and Milly
had been murdered. For something so perfect, so exquisite, a great deal of evil
trailed in its wake.

‘Wow!’ Joe breathed.

‘It’s beautiful,’ Becky said flatly.

‘You’re quite right, Becky. It is beautiful,’ Uncle
Percy said, ‘beautiful and exceptionally dangerous. Come on, let’s get rid of
it and get back to the Hall for those crumpets.’ He draped his long arms around
their shoulders.

Becky and Joe nodded. Zipping up the bag, they
lifted it together and dropped it down the hole, watching as the bag plunged
into a seemingly endless darkness.

They didn’t hear it land.

‘Right, let’s clean this mess up,’ Uncle Percy said quickly.
He recalibrated the Molivator and in a matter of minutes the hole had been
refilled. Soon, they were back at the beach, standing before the campervan. As
Uncle Percy loaded the equipment, they heard an angry growl drift over the
trees.

‘Harold’s awake,’ Uncle Percy said.

‘Can we go now, please?’ Becky asked urgently.

‘Best had,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘He can run at over
thirty five miles an hour.’

Becky knocked Joe out of the way as she hurtled into
the campervan.

Moments later, Uncle Percy was resetting Bertha’s
time-pad. ‘Do you want to see where the Fleece is buried?’ he asked. ‘In our
time, I mean.’

‘Yes, please,’ Joe said.

‘Whatever. Just do it quick…’ Becky said, casting an
anxious eye at the jungle.

‘Okey dokey,’ Uncle Percy said. ’I think you’re
going to like this...’

Chapter 34

London
Calling

Bertha materialised on a long street in Central
London. The immediate area was deserted and a dull sun framed a large and very
impressive building. It was the building that caught Becky’s eye. A building
she had seen many times before. ‘You-are-kidding-me?’ she said, flabbergasted.

‘Not at all,’ Uncle Percy said with a grin. ‘162
million years ago this was Harold’s lair, and this is where the Golden Fleece
is buried to this very day.’

Joe’s expression turned from surprise to wild
delight.
‘U-n-b-e-l-i-e-v-a-b-l-e!’

They were staring at
Buckingham Palace.

‘Unbelievable, but true,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘I’d
like to see Emerson Drake go digging under that.’ Becky and Joe laughed. ‘Now,
if you don’t mind there are a couple of things I have to do, and I can only do
them alone. But if you would just stand over there.’ He pointed at the curb.
‘I’ll be back in two ticks and half a jiffy.’

‘What things?’ Becky asked curiously.

‘Just a couple of mercy missions,’ Uncle Percy
replied, fumbling through the glove compartment. He pulled out an assortment of
small metallic objects and a small bottle filled with amber liquid. ‘Out you
go, quick as you can.’

Becky and Joe followed his instructions. They had
just enough time to cast each other a puzzled look, before Bertha vanished.

Joe turned to his sister. ‘What’s he doing?’

Becky shrugged. ‘I have no idea.’

Before either of them had time to wonder why they
were standing alone in the middle of London, the campervan reappeared.

‘All done,’ Uncle Percy
said,
his face slightly redder than before. Leaping out of the van, he skipped over to
Becky and gave her an unexpected and somewhat jubilant hug.

‘Where’ve you been? Becky asked,
puzzled.
‘And what’s done?’ Then she noticed he was s
porting a quarter inch of stubble
on his chin. ‘And how long have you been gone?’ Before Uncle Percy could reply,
she spied movement in the back of the campervan. She looked inside to see a huge
pair of auburn eyes staring back at her. ‘MILLY!’ she cried.

Joe’s mouth fell open.

Uncle Percy slid the door slightly ajar. Becky raced
over, heart pounding, and started patting Milly’s silky-soft forehead. Milly purred
loudly and forced her head out further.

Uncle Percy struggled to push her back inside. ‘Now,
Milly, you’re not getting out,’ he said. ‘You’re not wearing an Invisiblator,
and I don’t think the Metropolitan police, the Royal Family, or the Corgis, for
that matter, would take kindly to a Sabre-tooth tiger charging down the Mall.’

‘B-b-but how?’
Becky stammered. ‘S-she was dead. I saw her die.’

‘Not exactly - well, yes, in one timeline, I suppose
she may have been dead, but not really… I could change it.’ Uncle Percy sounded
almost as confused as Becky. ‘The Omega Effect never occurred, you see...’

Becky and Joe glanced at each other, more bewildered
than ever.

Uncle Percy sighed. ‘Er, let’s just say that fate
allowed me to save her. When I rushed to her in the caves I believed, as you
did, that Drake had killed her. But when I stroked her she was breathing. I also
felt tiny blood-packs and remnants of micro-squibs. She had been rigged to look
like she’d been shot, but was, in actual fact, alive. Still unconscious from
the Hydra battle, but very much alive. Therefore, I deduced that in the future
I must have been able to go back and make it look like Drake had shot her.
That’s why I was so happy when we went outside. I would’ve only been able to go
back if we’d survived in the first place.’ He scanned Becky and Joe’s blank
faces.

Eventually Becky thought she’d better say something.
‘Err, how?’

‘I travelled back to the Red Caves just after Drake
first appeared. Remember when he was pointing a gun at the two of you and
boasting he was not alone - how he’d got so many guns? Just before you socked
him one around the chops.’ He smiled proudly at Becky. ‘Do you remember?’

‘Yeah,’ Becky and Joe said in unison.

‘Well soon after that I abducted the young man Drake
took the rifle from, and injected him with Sodium Mentantathol, so he would
forget everything. Then I loaded his gun with blanks. That’s why when you saw
him in the caves he looked so disheveled. Are you with me?’

Becky and Joe nodded.

‘Then I went back to Bowen Hall, to Milly, and
fitted her with the micro-squibs. After that I travelled back to the Red Caves
and triggered them to explode at the precise moment he shot her. Do you
understand?’ He smiled weakly.

Becky shook her head. ‘No. D’you, Joe?’

‘Haven’t a clue.’

Uncle Percy was about to explain again when Becky
interrupted, ‘But it really doesn’t matter … Milly’s alive, that’s all that
counts.’

‘Yes, it is.’ Uncle Percy said
,
looking relieved he didn’t have to tell the whole story again.

Then, just behind Milly’s left shoulder, Becky saw
something else move. There was another animal in the van. ‘Is there -’

‘Oh, yes,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘I think Bowen Hall has
a new resident.
A rather special resident.’

Becky peered over Milly’s shoulder. She saw a small
white creature looking nervously back at her. ‘Pegasus…’ she exhaled.

‘I thought she might prefer a new home, and a new
owner, for that matter,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘Please don’t tell Annabel.’

‘It
was
you
I saw at the Palace?’ Becky said, astounded. ‘You were rescuing her?’

‘Something
like
that,’
Uncle Percy said.

Then something occurred to Joe. ‘The fire in King
Minos’ Palace, was that you?’

Uncle Percy nodded. ‘Yes, Joe, I needed a diversion.
But there was no fire, just a smoke pellet.’

Pegasus edged forward and allowed Becky to stroke
her. Becky shivered as her fingers caressed the horse’s soft fur. ‘And she can
live at Bowen Hall?’

‘Of course.
And you can visit her whenever you want,’ Uncle Percy replied. ‘In fact, I’d
like you to do me a small favour if you would, Becky. I’d like you to be her
keeper. Certainly until you have to return to Manchester. If you don’t mind,
that is.’

‘I don’t mind,’ Becky said softly. ‘I don’t mind at
all.’

‘Good,’ Uncle Percy said. ‘That’s settled then. And
when she’s older, I’ll attach an Invisiblator to her so she can take to the
skies whenever she wants, and no one will be any the wiser.’

Becky turned sideways so Joe couldn’t see the tear
that rolled down her cheek.

‘Now, I think it’s time we went home, don’t you?’
Uncle Percy said. ‘I think we’ve earned a nice, quiet summer holiday, don’t
you?’

‘Yes,’ Becky agreed.

‘Absolutely,’ Joe said.

Becky and Joe clambered through the side doors,
squeezing onto the back seats, next to an overexcited Milly and a rather nervy
Pegasus. Becky reached over and gently cupped the tiny horse in her arms.
‘Uncle Percy?’

‘Yes, Becky?’

‘Can we drive home?’ she said. ‘You know, the normal
way.’

‘Of course we can. It will take slightly longer but
- ’

‘- But time isn’t really an issue,’ Becky grinned.

Uncle Percy chuckled. ‘It certainly isn’t.’ He
started Bertha’s engine. ‘Oh, and Joe… remember I once told you there was a
traveller who kept returning to 1966 to watch England win the World Cup.’

‘Yes,’ Joe said.

‘That was John.’

A broad smile crossed Joe’s face. ‘Cool…’

‘And one more
thing
,
Becky…’ Uncle Percy searched through his cloak pocket. ‘I think this belongs to
you.’ He reached over and held out his hand.

A delicious shiver shot up Becky’s back. In his
palm, coiled like a thin snake, lay her lucky pendant. It looked as good as new
- the Suman Stone was securely fixed again and gleamed like an emerald star.
She looped it over her neck. ‘Thank you. Thank you so much.’

‘My pleasure,’ Uncle Percy replied, facing forward.
Pressing his foot on the accelerator, he steered Bertha away from the curb. She
gathered speed and rambled into the distance.

Becky allowed the gentle silence to wash over her.
Taking lingering looks at Joe, Milly, Pegasus and finally Uncle Percy, her
heart swelled with pride and contentment. She couldn’t remember the last time
she’d felt this happy. Her father was alive; Milly was alive; and she would be
the keeper to the most beautiful animal to have ever walked the earth. And, for
the first time in her life, she found herself thinking about her own future.
She didn’t know what it held. She didn’t want to know. But there was one thing
about which she felt certain.

Her adventure had only just begun.

Becky,
Joe, Will and Uncle Percy will return in ‘The Time Hunters and the Box of
Eternity.’