The TV Time Travellers (14 page)

‘No,’ almost shouted Leo. ‘Knowledge is power, as they say, so I don’t want them to realize I’m on to them yet. Then, when they’re least expecting it, I’ll strike.’

He said this with worrying eagerness; that’s why I added quickly, ‘But we don’t want to let one thing ruin the rest of the evacuation experience, because it might not be anything sinister. It, could just be . . . well, in 2009 there are cameras and bugging devices everywhere. And people have very good reasons for doing that.’

Leo raised two highly sceptical eyebrows.

‘And apart from the bugging,’ I continued, ‘these past few days have been the most magnificent and brilliant and memorable of my entire life . . . and you
just
wait until Wednesday, when Victor returns – to the very farm he grew up on – for the first time in over sixty years.’

‘That should be a great moment,’ agreed Farmer Benson.

But later Leo summoned me to the wardrobe once more. ‘I’ve just made a decision.’

‘What’s that then?’

‘Tomorrow afternoon, after we’ve done our chores and just before the meal, I shall confront Wally with my discovery.’ He grinned all over his face. ‘Don’t you love it when you’ve got something on adults, especially the really mean ones, like Wally? You just watch him crumble tomorrow.’

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The Challenge

Zac

NEXT DAY BEGAN
with Leo jumping out of bed and yelling, ‘Had another dream about Miss Weed last night; must have been the sight of her in her lovely dressing gown. Cor!!’ Then he fell about laughing. Later, he whispered to me excitedly, ‘Just wait until I expose them tonight.’

But I was worried Leo might get carried away and say something he shouldn’t. And I really didn’t want him to be up for eviction again.

I thought there would be a chance to warn him to be careful when we were
doing
our chores. But today only Leo was working on the farm, while Harriet and Izzy went off with Mrs Benson to deliver some cakes to the old people’s home. I was given another task: to collect some food from the local village shop.

I walked past the security man on the gate. I had to show him a letter written by Miss Weed saying I had permission to go out. I thought it was a shame the security man wasn’t in wartime costume. A cameraman was some way in front of me, but I’d learned now to totally ignore him and I enjoyed strolling through the village.

Then I passed a man whose Second World War clothes I recognized instantly. ‘Settling in all right at the farm?’ he asked. He had one of those pencil-thin moustaches so popular in the 1940s. I grinned at him. I was allowed to converse with people who were in costume.

‘Yes, thank you very much. Everyone’s extremely friendly.’

He nodded and went off. I wondered vaguely if he was an actor or one of the locals dressed up.

The shop was a modern one, but the
lady
behind the counter was again in old-fashioned clothes. She greeted me, ‘Ah, you must be one of the evacuees.’

I smiled politely and said, ‘Yes, ma’am, I am.’

‘Well, I’ve got your order ready. Are you sure you can carry it all?’

‘Oh, yes,’ I assured her. ‘I’m much stronger than I look.’

Actually, the bag was quite heavy, but I whistled
Run, Rabbit, Run
as I stumbled along. Just as I was turning into my home (and that’s exactly how I saw it now), a man on a bike came speeding towards me. I recognized his uniform instantly. He was from the Home Guard. I was thrilled to see him. He got off his bike. He was a very big, bulky man.

‘Here, lad,’ he said, calling me over. ‘We’ve had a tip-off – some enemy agents have landed.’

I gave a shiver of anticipation. Here it was. The challenge Mr Wallack had mentioned. I’d been so busy worrying about Leo’s discovery I’d forgotten all about that. But it looked as if I’d been chosen. And I did so want to win extra rations for everyone.

‘Do you want me to help search for enemy agents?’ I asked eagerly.

The man smiled. ‘No, no . . . we’ll do that. It’s maps of the area we need urgently. Can you get us some now?’

‘Yes, of course,’ I cried, hastily trying to remember where the maps were kept. Ah yes, now I remembered – inside the second drawer of the bureau in the living room. By a lucky coincidence, Farmer Benson had been showing them to me only two nights ago. ‘Just one thing,’ I added. ‘Have you got any identification on you at all?’

I thought he might be cross at me asking. But he said, ‘Well done, lad.’ His ID card flashed in front of me.

‘Thank you very much for letting me view that,’ I said.

‘Now will you hurry,’ urged the man, ‘as we’re very short of time.’

‘I’ll be faster than the wind.’ Then I added, ‘Would you mind just looking after my bag for me? I’ll run much faster if I’m not carrying that.’ The man nodded and smiled. And I jetted off down the track.

I tore inside the farm. For the first
time
since I’d arrived, the house was completely empty. It felt different without anyone in it, much bigger and more watchful somehow. As if the house itself was waiting to see if I could find those maps.

And I did, almost right away. My hand shook slightly as I gathered them up; best to let him have every one. It was for the war effort.

Then I raced out again. The Home Guard looked at his watch as I sprang towards him. I think he might have been timing me. ‘There you are,’ I said. ‘Every map of the area I could find. Was I fast enough?’ I added anxiously.

‘Very fast. I’m impressed, and these will prove extremely useful.’ He got on his bike again. ‘For now, don’t tell anyone about this.’

‘As careless talk costs lives,’ I said.

He nodded approvingly. ‘Quite right.’

Then he rode off, once more finding time to give me a quick wave as he did so.

That was such a gratifying moment. And I felt so pleased with myself – but
not
in a big-headed way, just very relieved I hadn’t messed up. Then I took the shopping inside and shortly afterwards people came back again. I wondered if they’d been kept away deliberately as part of my test.

I longed to tell someone what I’d done, but I remembered how the Home Guard officer had impressed on me the importance of keeping quiet about it.

Then Mr Wallack ordered us into the kitchen for what he called a de-briefing.

‘Hope this won’t take long,’ said Izzy to me. ‘I’m starving . . .’ Then she asked, ‘What are you looking so happy about?’

‘I wasn’t aware that I was,’ I said.

‘Oh, yes,’ said Izzy. ‘You can’t stop grinning; neither can Leo. What’s going on?’

Of course, Leo and I were smiling about quite different things. Leo said to Izzy, ‘All will be revealed very shortly.’

Before I could reply Mr Wallack had strode into the kitchen and was asking for silence. He always expected to be obeyed instantly. He was joined at the front by Miss Weed. Farmer Benson
and
Mrs Benson also came in and sat at the back.

‘I’ve summoned you all here—’ began Mr Wallack.

But then Leo jumped to his feet. ‘Actually, I’ve got an important announcement to make first,’ he said.

Mr Wallack’s face twitched furiously. ‘How dare you interrupt me like that! How
dare
you! One more word from you and you will receive a warning.’

He looked so angry that Leo just muttered, ‘You just wait, mate,’ and sat down.

‘Now,’ continued Mr Wallack, ‘before I was so rudely interrupted, I mentioned to you yesterday that one of you would be set a challenge. That challenge was performed this afternoon.’

There was a murmur of surprise, while a modest little smile began playing about my lips.

‘One of you was stopped by this person.’ And right on cue the Home Guard man strode in. ‘He is, of course,’ said Mr Wallack, ‘in a Home Guard uniform and he asked one of you for maps
as
he claimed he needed them to track down spies.’

The way Mr Wallack said ‘claimed’ sent a horrible shudder rushing down my spine. Then he asked the Home Guard soldier to speak. In a grave ‘War has been declared’ voice, the man said, ‘I stole this Home Guard uniform. I am in fact a fifth columnist – a spy. I needed maps for the invaders. And the boy I asked just handed the maps over. Didn’t you, Zac?’

He saw the deep horror on my face and gave a little smile of triumph. ‘But,’ I cried out suddenly, ‘I asked for your ID card.’

‘Yes,’ he agreed, ‘you did, but you didn’t look at the card carefully enough.’ He produced the card again. ‘First of all, my date of birth is 1917, but look how I’ve done the seven with the line across the middle of it. Not a British style at all in those days.’

‘How could he be expected to know that?’ cried Leo.

‘All right, but surely he should have spotted the card wasn’t signed.’ The man
waved
the ID card about so that everyone could see it and then he turned to me. ‘Shouldn’t you have spotted that, Zac?’

I couldn’t even speak now. I just gave my head a stiff little shake.

‘By his actions today,’ continued the so-called Home Guard, ‘Zac has given the enemy immense help.’

Shocked, ashamed, I couldn’t stop the tears from trickling down my face. ‘I’m very sorry,’ I croaked.

‘So no extra rations for us,’ called out Izzy. ‘Oh well, it’s no big deal.’

‘I’m afraid it is,’ said Mr Wallack. ‘Zac, stand up, please.’

I stumbled to my feet.

‘With great regret, Zac, your journey is now over.’

‘What . . .?’ I faltered.

‘You are being evicted from the wartime house immediately.’

There were shocked cries of disbelief from everyone around me. Even Farmer and Mrs Benson looked stunned. And I . . . I just couldn’t take it in. I stood there, blood pounding in my ears, sick with shock.

I’d been banished from my new home. So this meant I’d have to return to Aunt Sara’s and go back to being weird little Zac, the nuisance, who never fitted in and never would.

No, I couldn’t go back there. Ever.

What else could I do? I stood there, totally and completely lost. I had to try and speak, so I asked, shakily, ‘At least let me stay until . . .’ Only I couldn’t even finish my sentence as this giant hand had started shaking me, or that’s exactly what it felt like – and now the whole room was spinning faster and faster . . .

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

‘I’m Staying Here’

Izzy

I MADE A
little noise in my throat like a startled turkey. Zac evicted from the house – because he hadn’t checked an ID card was signed? It was a mad joke. It had to be
.

Then Zac began swaying about as if he was going to faint. Leo, Harriet and I all jumped up, but Zac gripped the back of his chair tightly and said, ‘No, I’m all right, honestly.’ He stood there, sweat crawling down his face and then cried, ‘Please let me stay here. I realize I have lost the competition. I really never cared about that anyway. But may I
stay
at least until tomorrow – because Victor . . .’

‘I’m very sorry,’ murmured Wally, ‘but you must leave at once.’

‘I’ll do any number of extra tasks,’ Zac persisted, ‘and you needn’t even feed me. But don’t make me go back now.’

Zac
was
practically begging now. No, he was begging. And I hated seeing that. So I called out, ‘Excuse me, but you never said if you messed up the challenge, you’d be chucked out.’

‘No,’ said Wally, ‘but we did tell you to expect the unexpected, didn’t we?’ He turned to Miss Weed
.

‘Yes, that’s right,’ she agreed, although not very loudly
.

‘Give him another challenge tomorrow then,’ said Leo
.

‘Yes, please do that,’ I urged as politely as I could
.

Wally didn’t answer for a few seconds, and just when a faint hope was rising in me he said, ‘Team spirit is admirable. I like team spirit – but here it is wholly misplaced. A decision has been made and it is final. Already a new boy has been selected
for
the competition and he will be joining us for breakfast tomorrow.’

‘That’s not fair,’ I murmured
.