Worlds Within

CHAPTER 10 - SCORE! SCORE! SCORPIONS

  The next morning Morris Simmons looked around the room at the other board members. Their solemn faces were reflected in the dark polished surface of the table. Pricilla was presenting her case for requesting a court order. It was evident to Morris that Miss Prissy, as he thought of her, was only interested in ruining Will Carson. Still, she made a good case. If Will actually was guilty of embezzlement, a court order was probably the only way to get the evidence.

  "What do you think, Morris?" one of the members interrupted his thoughts. "The report is pretty thorough and incriminating."

  He shook his head. "I don't like the thought, but I suppose it is the safest course. Shall we vote on it?" He looked around at each of them. "All in favor of getting a court order?" Every hand was raised. Pricilla was the last to raise her hand. Her thin smile was one of pious regret, but her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.

  Morris said, "Very well. I'll go to the courthouse as soon as they open." The meeting was dismissed.

  Across town, Toby was just opening Pete's e-mail.

  Now this is more like it. Reminds me of playing clue last summer and all those detective novels you kept trying to get me to read. Ok, I looked over the paper. Definitely looks like some kind of code, but I haven't broken it yet. You say it was in Carson's book? He's into sports. Could be his betting sheet for a crooked basketball pool. Hey, we could be famous if we expose a crime ring right there in your school. Might be smuggling something. Send more clues!

  On the way to school, Toby thought about Marnie's cryptic remarks from last night. The paper she had given him was the scanned copy of the loose page from the book. Why had she given it back to him? Wasn't she supposed to talk to Caedman about it? And what was that comment about the governor being a crook? Had the new governor turned bad?

  One thing he did know. He had to get the book back. It was simply a matter of getting into Carson's office, finding the book, sneaking back out, and mingling with the rest of the students. Should be no problem. Right, he thought. No problem if he was a super hero like one of the Fantastic Four.

  If he could stretch like Reed he wouldn't even have to leave class. Just sit by the door and slide his arm down the hall and into the office. No, that wouldn't work. Wouldn't be able to see which book he was picking up. How about the Human Torch? Fly in, burn a few spots on the carpet, and fly out again with the book. No, that wouldn't work either; too hot for the book. He could just stomp down the hall like the Thing and demand the book. It would be the Thing against the Hulk. He smiled at the thought. No, that wouldn't work either. The Thing wouldn't be able to pick up the book with his fat fingers. That only left being invisible which would work great except for that no clothes thing. Maybe a real idea would occur to him when he got there.

  In any case, first class was science and he wasn't going to miss that. He entered the room to the sound of laughter and loud popping noises. Standing in the doorway, he scanned the room. Everywhere he looked, kids were shouting and popping pieces of bubble wrap of all different colors and sizes. Jason called to him waving a large green piece. Toby headed over to where his desk and Jason's desk were side by side. He picked up the blue bubble wrap lying on his chair.

  "Maybe you're right about science class," Jason said. "This may not be too bad."

  "Beats basketball," Toby said.

  Jason made a face. "Not hardly."

  Toby said, "You get me through gym, and I'll get you through science."

  "Deal!" Jason said as they high fived one another.

  Ressa interrupted them. "Hey, where did you run off to yesterday? Didn't you see me wave at you? And then you didn't show up for math class."

  "You skipped class?" Jason said surprised.

  "I?I had to go home." Toby stammered.

  She frowned. "You sure you weren't avoiding me? It's not like you could have missed seeing me."

  Toby's voice cracked as he said, "No, no way."

  Mr. Hernandez entered the room whistling an off key tune. He moved to the front of the room and loudly announced for everyone to take their seats. Ressa drifted back to her desk across the room. The noise settled down to a low murmur and an occasional "pop".

  "Today," Mr. Hernandez announced, "is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day." There were squeals of delight from the Davis twins in the front row. Toby cringed at the sound. Mr. Hernandez then proceeded to explain the properties of bubble wrap, how it was invented, and how it was made. He asked all kinds of questions making the class work through the logistics of stretching plastic with air, sealing the bubbles, and coating them against leaks.

  He then had them break up into groups of twos and threes and create something original out of their bubble wrap. Jason and Toby were just deciding on a dinosaur when Ressa walked up.

  "Mind if I join your group?" she asked.

  Jason frowned. "We've pretty much decided on a T-Rex," he said decisively.

  "Hmmm," she said looking down at her yellow piece. "I was thinking of something delicate like a butterfly." She glanced up and her dark eyes sparkled mischievously. "But I guess a dinosaur will do. Since we wouldn't want to have a yellow bellied T-Rex, how about I make the head or tail?"

  Jason smirked. "Okay," he conceded. "Make the head. Yellow works. It's been eating something that didn't agree with it. We'll make the body blue and green."

  There was much excitement in the class. Laughter was punctuated with an occasional "pop, pop" when someone's artwork failed the test of being molded into an animal or an abstract design.

  They had just attached the head and were admiring the finished result when an announcement came over the loud speaker. It was Carson.

  "As you all know, tonight is our big soccer game against Central. To show our support for our excellent team, the Sierra Scorpions, we will all gather at the soccer field bleachers for a pep rally. When the bell rings, please file out in an ORDERLY manner and gather..."

  The ringing bell drowned out his voice. Kids howled and shouted as they poured out of the classrooms, and headed for the main doors in a chaotic mob of enthusiasm. Chants of Si-er-ra Scor-pions! Score! Score! Scor-pions! Ssssssssssss," reverberated off the walls. Toby was separated from Ressa and Jason. He managed to force his way out of the crowd and duck into the boy's restroom.

  This was his chance to get into the office while Carson was outside leading the rally. He waited for the noise to die down in the hall. The cries were getting fainter. Only the running footsteps of an occasional straggler could be heard. He wiped his sweating palms on his jeans, and tried to breathe naturally. Finally it was quiet outside. He opened the door, and looked out in what he hoped was a casual manner. The hall was empty except for a few dropped papers here and there on the floor.

  The rubber soles of his sneakers made very little noise as he walked to Carson's office. His heart raced, and anxious thoughts filled his mind. What if Mrs. Hightower was still at her desk? How would he get past her? What would he say to her about what he was doing there? His steps slowed as he got near the office. He strained his ears to hear the shuffling of paper or the clicking of computer keys. All was quiet. Deathly quiet. The only noise was the muffled distant chanting from the soccer field. Peeking around the corner he saw the desk was empty.

  Starting towards the open door of Carson's office, he froze at the sound of approaching footsteps and whistling. Mr. Hernandez! There was no mistaking that whistle. It was getting louder. In panic Toby raced into the office, and pushed the door partly closed. The window shades were drawn, and it was dark inside. Through the crack he could see bright sunshine streaming in through a window in the outer office.

  Mr. Hernandez came into view, and laid a folder on Mrs. Hightower's desk. As he glanced toward the office, Toby shrank back and tried not to move. The whistling stopped. Toby's head started to pound with his heartbeat and he closed his eyes. Then he heard retreating footsteps and far off whistling.

  He collapsed in the cha
ir with relief, and then jumped back up. He had to find that book. His eyes had adjusted to the dimness of the room, and he scanned the bookshelf. Not there. Of course it wouldn't be in plain sight. Carson must have hidden it.

  He turned on the desk lamp. The big desk was clean enough to be in a showroom. On the corner was an in-basket with a short letter. Toby leaned over and quickly read it. It was from the school board requesting financial reports.

  Large polished brass handles gleamed on each of the drawers. He pulled open the top middle drawer. Pens, paper clips, post it notes, and loose change were neatly separated in a tray. It slid noiselessly as he closed it. Outside, cheers from kids in the bleachers blended with the music from the marching band.

  He opened drawer after drawer. They contained papers, notebooks, and business cards. All were precisely organized. The band had stopped playing, and someone was leading a cheer. "Score, Score, Scorpions!"

  He pulled open the last drawer on the bottom. Hanging folders filled the drawer with typed labels in perfect sequence. He was just reaching in to check the back of the drawer when he heard someone clear his throat. Jumping back he hit his hand on the top of the drawer, and fell back into the big leather chair. Shaking his hand and grimacing, he looked up to see Carson. The cheers outside had stopped, and he could hear voices in the hallway outside.

  Light flooded the room as Carson flipped on the overhead light. "Decided to try out my chair instead of joining us at the pep rally?"

  Toby scrambled out of the chair, and hit his knee on the open drawer as he tried to get out from behind the desk.

  "Have a seat," Carson said pointing to the familiar faded green chair. Toby limped over and sat down.

  Carson moved behind the desk and carefully pushed the drawer closed before sitting down. "What is it you were looking for?" he said.

  Toby didn't answer.

  "I think I can help," he said. "Let me see?." He looked at the ceiling and pursed his lips. "You like to read. Perhaps you were looking for a book."

  Toby shuffled in his seat. It was warm in the room. His pack was hot against his back. Carson knew why he was here. He was just playing with him, like a cat with a mouse.

  "Not just any book, though. A precocious boy like you wouldn't be interested in just any book. You'd want a book with adventure. Something about far away places. A village with strange animals and interesting people. A book with pictures that draw you into the story."

  Toby looked up surprised.

  "Ah, I see that kind of book would interest you." He reached into the pocket of his sports coat, and pulled out the book.

  Toby sank back in the chair and his shoulders drooped. He felt nauseous, but knew that throwing up on Carson's perfectly polished desk was not a good move. All this for nothing. He didn't have the book, and now he was in real trouble.

  "Yes, a book like that would be quite special," Carson said as he caressed the leather cover. "Not something you would want to just leave lying around." He laid it on the desk and leaned back. Placing his elbows on the arms of the chair he clasped his fingers together and looked at the ceiling.

  "A book like that would need a bookmark. Something like a paper with soccer scores or football statistics. I don't suppose you came across anything like that in any books you might have been reading recently?" He looked piercingly at Toby. "I seem to have misplaced a paper like that. One with sentimental value. Nothing that would mean anything to anyone else of course."

  Toby met his eyes. He must mean the paper that Buz had been asking about. What was it? Surely not sports statistics! What could it be?

  Carson leaned across the desk. "The return of something like that would certainly go a long way towards proving that you didn't mean any harm by being in my office. An inquisitive and fearless boy like you, who has shown a strong interest in investigation, should have no trouble locating a simple piece of paper."

  Toby shrugged and tried to look blank.

  Carson leaned back in his chair and tapped his fingers irritably. "Let's stop pretending Toby. You've somehow managed to put a scare into Buz and his cronies. They aren't good for much, but they have been useful. Now they aren't even good bullies. I'm thinking about taking a trip. Maybe I'll take you with me. Of course if you don't have the book, it might be a one-way trip for you. I'm sure you won't mind living in that other world permanently. I think I might enjoy being a ruler of a small village on a full-time basis. You can be my servant boy."

  Toby sat up and burst out, "You can't do that! The Governor would never allow it."

  "The Governor? You silly boy. I'm the Governor."

  Toby stared at him astonished as the truth sunk in. It was so obvious. Carson had known about the other world all the time, and had been posing as the governor there. Marnie had been warning him about Carson, but he had been too dull to understand.

  "That's right Toby," he said smoothly as if reading his thoughts. "In the village, I rule supreme."

  Toby shivered, but then had another thought. Did Carson know the real governor had shown up? Would the villagers be ready and waiting when Carson arrived? He smiled, as he imagined an unsuspecting Carson walking into the village. He would arrive thinking he was going to be honored, but they would drag him away and lock him up.

  Carson frowned and leaned forward. "You don't seem to understand that I am the law there. There will be no one to come to your rescue. Of course if you cooperate, we could work out a deal. I just need that piece of paper."

  There was a knock at the door, and Carson turned. Toby's gaze moved across the desk to the letter from the school board - the letter about financial reports. What was it Marnie had said? The governor's a crook. Then it clicked in his mind. The figures on the paper had something to do with the way Carson was juggling the school's finances!

  Mrs. Hightower stood in the doorway. Her face was pale and concerned. Behind her stood two police officers.

  "Toby," Mrs. Hightower said sternly. "Come here."

  But Toby couldn't move. His legs felt like lead. Oh no, he thought. I'm going to get locked up for breaking and entering.

  "I didn't take anything," he said. "Honest, I was just looking?" He turned back just in time to see Carson slipping the book into his jacket pocket as he stood up.

  "Toby! For goodness sake come out of there," she said. When he didn't move, she came over and took him by the arm. To his surprise, the police walked past him, and placed some papers on the desk. Mrs. Hightower hurried Toby out of the room and told him, "Go on down to the cafeteria, and get some lunch. And don't say anything about this. Do you understand?"

  Toby nodded. All he really understood was that he was free, and he made good his escape. As he turned to go, he heard the police saying something about impounding financial records.