It
was the evening of the last day of the school holidays. I was lying in
the bath, relaxing and thinking about starting my new school tomorrow. I
was not looking forward to it but neither was I dreading it; at least
Tara would be there.
I sighed as I sank further down into the warm water.
What a fantastic summer it had been! The exhibition had been a great
success and people had come from long distances to see it. I remembered
one comment in the visitors book, Wonderful exhibition. I felt as if
I was really there in the past. We all had a chuckle at that!
Everyone was very generous too and left a lot of money in the donations
box.
Tara and I had continued to collect fossils
throughout the holidays and sell them to Mary. With the money from the
fossils and from the fossil guide it wasn’t long before we had enough to
buy our mountain bikes. We had a great time racing down the hills with
Sparky running along besides us trying to keep up!
We even built a tree house in the woods at the back
of the estate. I remembered sitting by the campfire, toasting our slices
of bread, and reminiscing about our time on the prehistoric island.
We often e-mailed Professor P to tell him our news
and he sent us many long e-mails in reply. The last one he sent said, I often think of you and my ‘home’ by the sea. I’m sure Sleepy does too,
she’s lying at my feet right now looking up at me with sad eyes,
wondering when we’ll all be together again.
Floppy e-mailed us too and said he was missing us. I
missed him too. Professor P also said he would come and visit us in the
Christmas holidays, so that was something to look forward to.
The bath water was growing cold now. Time to get out,
I decided.
As I put on my pyjamas the doorbell rang and I heard
footsteps coming up the stairs. There was a loud knocking on the door.
“Peter!”
It was Tara’s voice, shaking with emotion.
“What is it, Tara?” I asked.
“Something’s happened, Peter,” she said urgently.
“Come quickly! Hurry!”
I put on my dressing gown and opened the door.
“Come downstairs!” Tara said looking pale and
distraught.
“What’s going on?” I asked anxiously.
She did not answer. She raced downstairs and I
followed her into the living room. She rushed over to the television set
and switched it on.
“The historic north wing lies in ruins. At four
thirty this afternoon a powerful explosion tore the building apart.”
“It’s Professor P’s college!” I cried. “You don’t
think…Is he all right?”
“I don’t know,” she said, clutching my hand so
tightly it hurt.
“We go over live to the college where a spokesman is
expected to make a statement.”
Professor P appeared in the archway at the entrance
to the college. The steps below him swarmed with reporters shouting
questions.
“He’s alive!” Tara yelled giving me a wild hug.
“Thank goodness!” I cried in relief.
Professor P took a sheet of paper out of his pocket.
The reporters were silent. He read out loud from the paper.
“I deeply regret the irreparable damage I have caused
to my college and admit full responsibility for it. After recent
discussions with the Master of the college Sir David
Wotherington-Fotheby I will be leaving my position with the college
immediately.”
The crowd of reporters exploded, shouting questions
and flashing cameras. Professor P looked pale and shocked. He tried to
make his way down the steps.
“Has there been a cover up?” a reporter shouted.
“Have you discovered a new form of energy Professor
P?”
“Is cold fusion a reality?”
“Professor P. Is it true your work was sabotaged?”
He put his hand up to his face to shield himself from
the camera flashes.
“I have no further comment to make.”
“Professor P!” called out one insistent reporter.
“What are you planning to do now?”
“I…” he looked down, obviously too distressed to
speak.
Then, suddenly, he looked up at the camera and with
that familiar twinkle in his eyes he smiled and said,
“I’m going home.”
