leaves of a banana tree in a rocky cove farther south on the island than Charlie and his friends had ever ventured.
“Look at this thing!” Theodore exclaimed as they climbed inside the small craft. About the size of a speedboat, it had six seats, each with a steel safety restraint. The bar came down over the shoulders and across the chest. Theodore enthusiastically latched himself in. “Check it out! It’s like the kind of thing you see on one of those upside-down rollercoasters.”
“That’s disturbing,” Violet remarked. “Why would it need that?”
While Theodore messed around with the restraint, Charlie inspected the captain’s chair. There were remarkably few controls on the dashboard in front of it: an ignition switch, a throttle for controlling the boat’s speed, a steering wheel, a simple compass for telling direction, and a red button with the words WARNING: USE ONLY DURING FREEFALL etched below it.
“Freefall?” Charlie said. “What’s that for?”
Brooke shrugged. “Don’t know. All I know is you’re supposed to head into the ocean and somehow the boat gets you there.”
“Somehow the boat gets you there?” Violet asked dubiously. “You mean you just—poof!—magically end up near the Guardian?”
“Well, that’s what the Headmaster said,” Brooke replied, a little defensively. “Obviously, I’ve never done it.”
“Great,” Violet moaned. “That’s comforting. We have no idea how this thing is even supposed to work!”
“Aside from that red button and the weird seatbelts,” Charlie said, “it basically looks pretty much like a regular boat. We just need someone to steer it out of the cove and not smash us up on the rocks.”
“I’ll do it,” Theodore said. “I’m great at steering boats!”
“Really?” Charlie asked. “Have you ever steered one before?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know you’re great at it?”
“Have you even met me?” Theodore replied. “This is the kind of thing I’m just naturally good at—duh.” He unlatched the over-the-shoulder harness and stood up, but Violet pushed him back down.
“I’ll pilot it,” she said, sitting in the captain’s chair. “My family used to have a boat. Buckle up.”
Charlie, Brooke, and Theodore did as they were told. Violet turned on the ignition, moved the throttle forward, and gently guided the small craft through the rocks and out of the cove.
“Hey, you’re pretty good at this,” Charlie said, admiring her skill.
“A girl’s gotta be prepared.”
The day was warm, the air was clear, and in spite of the danger and uncertainty of their mission, Charlie felt his spirits rise as they left the island behind them and sailed out into the welcoming arms of the open ocean.
The catastrophe started out small.
Twenty miles offshore, their compass needle, which had been pointing them steadily, reliably north, suddenly spun to the south, then east, then back south again.
“Weird,” Violet said, watching it as it jittered uncertainly.
“Something wrong?” Charlie asked.
“Not sure. The compass just went funky. Look, there it goes again!”
The needle spun frantically to the left and then to the right.
“Don’t worry about it,” Theodore said. “Compass malfunctions like that are totally normal. Could be the gravitational pull of the moon, or maybe we’re drifting over a large chunk of magnetized ore.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlie replied. “Do you even have any idea what you’re saying?” He pointed to the instrument panel. “Look at the thing—that’s definitely not normal!”
The compass continued to spin crazily as the ocean grew choppy. Above them, the frothy, white clouds started to darken.
“Maybe we should turn around,” Brooke suggested uneasily. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”
“I would,” Violet said, “but with the compass acting so funny, I’m not sure I could find our way back.”
“Of course you can!” Theodore said. “Just use
“Look at this thing!” Theodore exclaimed as they climbed inside the small craft. About the size of a speedboat, it had six seats, each with a steel safety restraint. The bar came down over the shoulders and across the chest. Theodore enthusiastically latched himself in. “Check it out! It’s like the kind of thing you see on one of those upside-down rollercoasters.”
“That’s disturbing,” Violet remarked. “Why would it need that?”
While Theodore messed around with the restraint, Charlie inspected the captain’s chair. There were remarkably few controls on the dashboard in front of it: an ignition switch, a throttle for controlling the boat’s speed, a steering wheel, a simple compass for telling direction, and a red button with the words WARNING: USE ONLY DURING FREEFALL etched below it.
“Freefall?” Charlie said. “What’s that for?”
Brooke shrugged. “Don’t know. All I know is you’re supposed to head into the ocean and somehow the boat gets you there.”
“Somehow the boat gets you there?” Violet asked dubiously. “You mean you just—poof!—magically end up near the Guardian?”
“Well, that’s what the Headmaster said,” Brooke replied, a little defensively. “Obviously, I’ve never done it.”
“Great,” Violet moaned. “That’s comforting. We have no idea how this thing is even supposed to work!”
“Aside from that red button and the weird seatbelts,” Charlie said, “it basically looks pretty much like a regular boat. We just need someone to steer it out of the cove and not smash us up on the rocks.”
“I’ll do it,” Theodore said. “I’m great at steering boats!”
“Really?” Charlie asked. “Have you ever steered one before?”
“No.”
“Then how do you know you’re great at it?”
“Have you even met me?” Theodore replied. “This is the kind of thing I’m just naturally good at—duh.” He unlatched the over-the-shoulder harness and stood up, but Violet pushed him back down.
“I’ll pilot it,” she said, sitting in the captain’s chair. “My family used to have a boat. Buckle up.”
Charlie, Brooke, and Theodore did as they were told. Violet turned on the ignition, moved the throttle forward, and gently guided the small craft through the rocks and out of the cove.
“Hey, you’re pretty good at this,” Charlie said, admiring her skill.
“A girl’s gotta be prepared.”
The day was warm, the air was clear, and in spite of the danger and uncertainty of their mission, Charlie felt his spirits rise as they left the island behind them and sailed out into the welcoming arms of the open ocean.
The catastrophe started out small.
Twenty miles offshore, their compass needle, which had been pointing them steadily, reliably north, suddenly spun to the south, then east, then back south again.
“Weird,” Violet said, watching it as it jittered uncertainly.
“Something wrong?” Charlie asked.
“Not sure. The compass just went funky. Look, there it goes again!”
The needle spun frantically to the left and then to the right.
“Don’t worry about it,” Theodore said. “Compass malfunctions like that are totally normal. Could be the gravitational pull of the moon, or maybe we’re drifting over a large chunk of magnetized ore.”
“What are you talking about?” Charlie replied. “Do you even have any idea what you’re saying?” He pointed to the instrument panel. “Look at the thing—that’s definitely not normal!”
The compass continued to spin crazily as the ocean grew choppy. Above them, the frothy, white clouds started to darken.
“Maybe we should turn around,” Brooke suggested uneasily. “Looks like a storm’s coming.”
“I would,” Violet said, “but with the compass acting so funny, I’m not sure I could find our way back.”
“Of course you can!” Theodore said. “Just use
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