The Keeper. Part 1. An Invitation. Craig Speakes
answer?’
‘Oh, that. Just say “open” three times.’
‘What—that’s it?!’
‘I told you it was simple.’
‘Just a bit!’ Could it really be so simple? he wondered, shaking his head. ‘Well, I guess we should try it, at least.’
‘Yep, right—off you go then!’ said the cat, forgetting about the insect all of a sudden, and beating a hasty retreat towards the stairs.
Watching him from the corner of his eye, Arthur cupped the box in his hands and held them out in front of him.
‘So, I’m just going to say “open” three times, then.’
‘Yep. Three times ought to do it.’
‘OK, here we go. Open!’
The cat had reached the top.
‘Open!’ he said again.
Arthur could feel his hands beginning to shake with excitement and his heart racing.
‘Open!… Cat! Why are you—’
Suddenly, the little box shot into the air, freezing halfway between the floor and the ceiling. Snapping open, a bright white light like he’d seen the night of the storm spilled out of it, filling the room instantly. Coloured spheres began to materialise everywhere. And between them, countless shining points. Arthur, mesmerised by what was happening, ducked as a small green-and-blue sphere appeared just above his head.
‘Cat…’
‘I’m here… I see them!’ he meowed dreamily.
‘What are they?’
‘I have no idea. But they’re soooo pretty.’
A moment later, the room was plunged into darkness. The coloured spheres, the points of light, continuing to shine, now appeared to be grouped into clusters.
‘Cat! I think I’ve got it! I know what this is! They’re planets, suns, and stars. I saw something like this when I was at the planetarium. It’s got to be a map—a star map! And look over there, there’s some kind of writing near one of the groups. See?’
‘Yes, yes, I see. What’s it say?’ he whispered, coming closer and trying to catch one of the spheres with a paw.
‘I don’t know, but they look like symbols of some sort. I reckon it must mean that there’s something special about those planets.’
‘You mean like a warning not to ever go there.’
‘That’d be weird, don’t you think?’
‘Not really.’
‘But, if it is a map, then where did it come from? And how did it get to Earth?’
‘And who put it at the bottom of a lake?’
‘Or on that weird train that blew up?’
‘If it really was on that train!’
‘What? Of course it was on the train. Don’t you think it’s a bit of a coincidence that it fell into the lake exactly on the night of the bright light, which was also when it looks like it blew up?’
‘Maybe. Or perhaps it actually fell out of a passing aircraft blinded by that exact light.’
‘An aircraft?’ laughed Arthur. ‘And I suppose that whoever it was who happened to be flying it also happened to be holding the box out of the window at that exact moment?’
‘Why not? Or maybe it also blew up. And before you say it’s not possible, don’t forget that I talked to a fish yesterday.’
‘Sure, but it definitely came from the train.’
‘Or a plane which blew up.’
‘Train!’
‘Plane!’
And whilst they were arguing, the slow spinning planets and otherworldly symbols began to fade. Snapping shut, the box fell with a thud to the floor, making them both jump.
Prodding it to make sure it wasn’t hot, Arthur picked up the box just in time to catch a faint pattern of light visible around its edges.
‘I wonder what we should do with it. It looks like it might really be important. What do you reckon?’
‘I vote that we give it to your mum. We can say that it’s magic and that its hers if she agrees to start feeding me better.’
‘To my mum—are you mad? We’d be in trouble for having found it in the first place.’
‘Rats!’
‘Listen, we need to find out who that train belongs to and give it to them, maybe.’
‘Yeah, well, good luck with that. You do remember the size of that hole, right? I’m not liking our chances of still finding anyone who was onboard.’
‘Oh c’mon, we don’t know that. And anyway, someone came looking for it afterwards. Remember what the fish said? That has to mean that somebody knows something.’
‘I guess.’
‘So, let’s get out of here and come up with a plan. I can’t be made to be doing chores before we’ve sorted this out.’
Creeping down the narrow, ladder-like stairs, Arthur stopped at the bottom and peered round the door frame. He was in luck. His mother and aunt were talking in the kitchen, which meant he’d be able to leave unseen. Opening the front door and just about to make a run for it, he suddenly turned and dashed back up into the attic.
‘Hey, where are you going?’ meowed the cat, scampering after him. ‘I thought we were going out?’
‘No way… It can’t be!’ exclaimed Arthur, running over to the window. ‘Cat! There—look!’ he cried, as three helicopters flew into view just over the tops of the trees. ‘You don’t think they know, do you?’
‘What are you on about?’ the cat meowed, jumping onto the window sill and standing on his hind legs to get a better view.
‘I’m on about them! It can’t be a coincidence, can it? They’re coming right for us. They must know that we opened it – But how!?.’
‘Yikes!’ cried the cat, jumping down and making a run for the stairs. ‘Every cat for himself then—that’s what I say!’
‘Nice one, coward!’ Arthur shouted after him.
Arthur continued to watch in horror as two of the helicopters set down in the field next to the neighbour’s house, while the third took up a position right over their cottage, causing the whole roof to rattle and vibrate heavily.
‘Not good!’ he mumbled, creeping over to the top of the stairs. He could hear his mother and Aunty M frantically shouting something about seeing soldiers with guns coming into the garden. A few seconds later, the helicopter above them moved off, and a male voice boomed out, followed by the sound of footsteps going into the kitchen.
‘Arthur! Where are you?’ shouted his mother.
Definitely not good!
With that gut-sinking feeling that he was about to be in a whole heap of trouble, Arthur took a deep breath and descended the stairs, pausing at the bottom to gaze at the soldiers standing sentry on either side of the front door.
‘Are you okay? Where’ve you been? We were all worried sick!’ exclaimed his mother, rushing up to him as he entered the room.
‘Mum, I’m fine,’ he replied, noticing a tall man in an officer’s uniform, standing by the kitchen table.
The officer looked at him and smiled. ‘So you must be Arthur,’ he said, stepping forwards and extending a hand for him to shake. ‘Come and have a seat, will you? I’m sure this will all just take a minute.’
Arthur