The Caper of the Crown Jewels (9 page)

Tired from nearly having his head chopped off, Jack made his way off the stage and back to his seat. Ivan the Incredible left the stage briefly and came back dressed as a different king before he spoke to the audience.

“Now we are fast-forwarding our journey through the kings and queens of the past to Charles the Second. Charles the Second, as many of you will know, was king during the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666. He also
made two of the three Crown Jewels that the Queen uses today.”

That fact made Jack's ears prick up. He wondered where Ivan was going with this “act” and whether there was going to be some sort of clue that would lead Jack to where the jewels were being kept. He listened carefully to what Ivan the Incredible had to say.

“King Charles the Second created this beautiful orb,” said Ivan. At the mention of the orb, Ivan lifted his left hand. From nowhere, a bubble appeared above his hand with an image of the orb sitting in a glass case. Jack rubbed his eyes, as did the girl sitting next to him.

“He also created this beautiful scepter,” added Ivan as he conjured another image into the air, this time of the scepter inside its glass case. “Sitting at the top of the scepter,” he explained, “is the First Star of Africa, also known as the Cullinan I, the largest cut diamond in the world!

“Finally,” he said, “the third and final treasure was not created by Charles the Second, but by George the Sixth in 1937.”

POOF!

At the mention of this new king's name, Ivan's costume changed to that of George VI.

“The Imperial State Crown was made in 1937,” continued Ivan. “Some say it's the most beautiful piece in the entire collection. There are over 2,800 diamonds and 270 pearls.” With a wave of his hand, he created a third image in the air, one of
the Imperial State Crown, also in a glass case.

Looking at the images, Jack had a horrible idea. What if the jewels really were still in their cases, just as Ivan was showing them? Jack had been baffled by how Ivan and Jazz had escaped with the jewels from the Tower; they were so big. But perhaps, Jack thought, they never did. Maybe the jewels were still in the Jewel House. Maybe Ivan and Jazz had created an illusion to make Jack and Tommy think the jewels had been stolen, so they could actually steal them another time.

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen,” said Ivan, causing Jack to snap out of his thoughts, “this is our last glimpse into the world of the kings and queens. Our journey ends here with a lasting image for all of you of the jewels that we have stolen tonight.” Ivan paused and then added, “We bid you farewell!” Then the two men disappeared in a puff of smoke before Jack had time to register what they had said.

Jack was stunned. Like the rest of the audience, he was trying to work out whether this was a trick or if what Ivan had said was true. As the audience was whispering, Jack hurried onto the stage. Ducking in and out of the wings, he looked for any sign of Ivan and Jazz. But they had completely disappeared.

Jack returned to the spot where they had been standing. Wondering if they'd used a trap door, he looked down. Sure enough, there was a small copper ring. He
bent down and pulled it hard. A thin rectangular door flew open. He lowered himself through the hole and climbed down a flight of narrow steps. As soon as he reached the lower level, he started running. In the distance he could hear Ivan and Jazz.

“Quick!” said one of the men.

“He's coming!” said the other.

BANG!

It sounded like a door. Jack ran as fast as he could, down a long hall and towards the sounds of the men. As he ran, he passed photos of Ivan and Jazz in various poses and outfits. When he reached a steel door, he flung it open.

BLAM!

In front of Jack was the Magic Theater car park. It was full to the brim of parked cars. So many, in fact, that it was an absolute jam. There's no way that Ivan and Jazz can get themselves out of this, thought Jack.

BBRRRMMM!

In the distance a motorcycle engine revved up. Jack looked in the direction of the noise and saw Ivan and Jazz speeding down the road on a red Ducati.

“Drat!” said Jack, frustrated they'd escaped by motorcycle. I have to warn Tommy, he said to himself as he dialed Tommy's number on his Watch Phone. But there was no answer.

Working quickly, Jack knelt down. He unzipped his Book Bag and pulled out a miniature disc. Placing his hands on the outside of the disc, he slid them around until the disc grew larger. He then grabbed a small steel rod and pulled it three times until it grew to be taller than he was.

Plunging the rod into a small hole at the edge of the disc, Jack pushed the button marked
PROP
on his Watch Phone. Instantly, two propellers shot out of the rod and began to spin. This was the GPF's Heli-Spacer—Jack's only hope for getting to the Tower on time.

He hopped on and clipped the Heli-Spacer's belt around himself. Then he raised his hands in the air. The Heli-Spacer began to rise. All Jack needed was one good thrust. As he threw his arms forward, the Heli-Spacer took off. Soon Jack was flying over the River Thames in pursuit of Ivan and Jazz.

Within minutes, Jack was hovering above Tower Green. He slowly dropped his hands to his sides and he was lowered safely to the ground. After touching down, he hopped off, took apart the device and packed it away.

Jack glanced at his Watch Phone. It was 6:30
PM
.

He dialed Tommy's number again, but still there was no answer. He looked across the courtyard and spied Ivan and Jazz. They were making their way to the entrance of the Jewel House. Keeping low, Jack ran towards the doors and pressed his ear against them to listen. There were no sounds from Ivan and Jazz. Quickly, he entered the first chamber.