Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying Machine Read online

  Jeremy and the Fantastic Flying

  Machine

  Becky Citra

  illustrated by Jessica Milne

  To my husband Larry, for all his support.

  B.C.

  With love, to G.G., my Grandma.

  J.M.

  Text copyright © 2008 Becky Citra

  Illustrations copyright © 2008 Jessica Milne

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Citra, Becky

  Jeremy and the fantastic flying machine / written by Becky Citra;

  illustrated by Jessica Milne.

  (Orca echoes)

  ISBN 978-1-55143-950-1

  I. Milne, Jessica, 1974- II. Title. III. Series.

  PS8555.I87J4725 2008 jC813’.54 C2007-907393-X

  First published in the United States, 2008

  Library of Congress Control Number: 2007942400

  Summary: In this fourth book of the Jeremy and the Enchanted Theater series, Jeremy and his cat Aristotle must find their way out of an underground maze and solve the last riddle.

  Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

  Typesetting by Teresa Bubela

  Cover artwork and interior illustrations by Jessica Milne

  ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS ORCA BOOK PUBLISHERS

  PO BOX 5626, STN. B PO BOX 468

  VICTORIA, BC CANADA CUSTER, WA USA

  V8R 6S4 98240-0468

  www.orcabook.com

  Printed and bound in Canada.

  11 10 09 08 • 4 3 2 1

  The Adventure continues...

  A long time ago, people came from everywhere to see the plays at the Enchanted Theater. But when Mr. Magnus bought the theater, things started to go wrong. Mr. Magnus mixed up the plays and changed the endings. Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, was so angry he hurled lightning bolts at the theater. Soon no one came to see the plays.

  Today the Enchanted Theater is dusty and silent. But not forgotten. Mr. Magnus and his two friends, Jeremy and the talking cat Aristotle, are working hard to save the theater. In their first time-travel adventure,Jeremy and Aristotle traveled to Mount Olympus to meet Zeus. Zeus gave them three riddles. He promised that he would stop punishing the theater when all three riddles were solved.

  Jeremy and Aristotle traveled into the land of the dead to solve the first riddle. The second riddle took them on a sea voyage on the famous Greek ship, the Argo.

  Where will the Enchanted Theater send Jeremy and Aristotle to solve the third riddle?

  Chapter One

  The Last Riddle

  The sun was setting when Jeremy ran to the Enchanted Theater.

  Perfect for time travel!

  Jeremy hurried past the rows of empty seats. He scrambled onto the stage and sped down the long dark hallway to the little room at the end.

  Mr. Magnus was sitting on his stool by the window, surrounded by towers of books. He was holding a scroll made of old parchment.

  When Jeremy burst through the door, Mr. Magnus jumped up. “Now we can get started!” he cried.

  “Meow,” said Aristotle from the top of the blue and gold trunk.

  Mr. Magnus unrolled the scroll.

  “The last riddle,” said Jeremy.

  “And a real doozer!” said Mr. Magnus. His voice shook. “I’m round like a ball, but I’m not a toy. Beware, Inventor, and your little boy! “

  “An inventor!” said Jeremy.

  “I’ve read all the books,” sighed Mr. Magnus. “I found only one inventor. His name was Daedalus. He lived on a Greek island called Crete.”

  Jeremy looked at the rows of bright costumes. He looked at the shiny swords and glittering shields.

  Which prop would they use to go back in time?

  “I’ve never tried to put on a play about Daedalus,” said Mr. Magnus. He sounded worried. “Aristotle, show Jeremy what we found.”

  Aristotle jumped off the blue and gold trunk.

  For the first time, Jeremy noticed old-fashioned letters engraved on the top of the trunk. “Daedalus and the Fantastic Flying Machine,” he read out loud.

  Mr. Magnus lifted up the lid. “It’s empty,” he said glumly.

  Jeremy’s heart sank. Then it gave a little jump. In a shadowy corner at the bottom of the trunk, he spied something. He picked it up. It was a huge golden feather.

  The feather felt warm.

  Jeremy’s fingers tingled.

  “Here I go!” he said.

  Mr. Magnus stared at Jeremy. “Not yet! I haven’t told you about the maze and the mons—”

  “I need the backpack!” said Jeremy.

  “Oh, dear!” Mr. Magnus picked up a backpack. He slid it over Jeremy’s arms.

  Aristotle leaped onto Jeremy’s shoulders.

  “Good-bye! Good-bye!” said Mr. Magnus. “Good luck!”

  “Good-bye,” said Jeremy.

  The room swirled around him.

  From far away, he heard Mr. Magnus say, “Watch out for the maze and the mons—”

  Everything went black.

  Chapter Two

  The Road to Knossos

  Jeremy blinked.

  He and Aristotle were standing on a hill beside a dusty road.

  Rows of green vines covered the slopes of the hill. Over the tops of the vines, Jeremy glimpsed brown jagged mountains and the blue sea.

  Bunches of purple grapes hung on the vines. Jeremy stuck a grape in his mouth.

  “This must be the island of Crete,” he said. “Whew, it’s hot!”

  Aristotle pounced in a high arc. The green tail of a skinny lizard slid under a rock.

  “Forget the lizard,”said Jeremy. “We’ve got work to do.”

  He opened the backpack and peered inside.

  “Ball of wool, bottle of Sooper Dooper glue, two pairs of sunglasses,” he reported. “Doesn’t sound like Mr. Magnus is expecting too much trouble this time.”

  He pulled out a brown tunic and a pair of sandals. He slid the tunic over his head, took off his runners and strapped on the sandals.

  He studied the road. It went three different ways. “We could go left,” he said, “to the sea.”

  “Or right,” said Aristotle, “to the mountains.”

  “Or straight ahead,” sighed Jeremy.

  They heard the babble of excited voices.

  “Hide!” said Aristotle.

  Jeremy and Aristotle leaped off the road. They ducked into the grape vines.

  A parade of men, women and children came over the hill. Some walked and some rode donkeys. They were loaded down with bundles and bags. One woman carried two brown hens in a basket. At the end of the line trudged a little boy with a goat.

  The hens clucked.

  The donkeys brayed.

  The goat bleated.

  The boys and girls shouted.

  Where was everybody going? Jeremy crept closer to the road and listened.

  “They say the king is furious,” said the woman with the hens.

  “It’s the crazy man’s last chance,” shouted another. “If he doesn’t do it today, there’s going to be trouble!”

  “Are we al
most there?” said a little girl.

  “We’ll be at Knossos at noon!” announced a man riding a donkey.

  Everybody cheered.

  The boy at the end of the line poked the goat with a stick. “Hurry up!” he shouted.

  Jeremy kept still until the boy and the goat disappeared over the hill.

  He jumped up. “Come on!”

  Then he froze.

  Someone was singing, loudly and out of key. He and Aristotle dived back into the grape vines.

  Around the corner bounced a wooden cart pulled by an ox. A tall thin man and a short round man rode on top.

  The ox shuffled to a stop. The men stopped singing. They stared at the fork in the road and scratched their heads.

  “All roads lead to Knossos,” said the tall thin man with a sigh.

  “That way is longer.” The short man pointed to the road that led to the sea.

  “But that way is hotter.” The tall man pointed to the road that led to the mountains.

  Jeremy stood up. He brushed green leaves from his hair. He pointed straight ahead. “Everybody else went that way.”

  He stepped out of the vines. “I’m Jeremy.” Aristotle landed with a thump on his shoulder. “And this is Aristotle.”

  “I’m Demos,” said the tall man.

  “And I’m Yannis,” said the short man.

  “We’re going to the palace at Knossos,” said Demos, “to see the crazy man.”

  A crazy man sounded scary. But they couldn’t stay here. Jeremy made up his mind quickly. “So are we!” he said.

  “Hop aboard!” said Demos.

  Jeremy grabbed his backpack. He and Aristotle scrambled into the cart. They settled themselves on a pile of sacks.

  Bump, bump, bump went the ox-cart wheels.

  Jeremy leaned against a sack. He thought about the riddle. I’m round like a ball, but I’m not a toy. Beware, Inventor, and your little boy!

  Someone at Knossos had to know the answer!

  Bump, bump, bump.

  After a long time, they came to the end of the road. They climbed out of the cart.

  “Wow!” cried Jeremy. Before them was a huge palace with great red pillars. A crowd had gathered outside the palace walls.

  Everyone was staring up.

  Jeremy looked up too.

  A little man stood above them on a balcony. A giant blue kite was strapped to his back.

  “There he is!” said Demos. “The crazy man!”

  At the front of the crowd, a man in a long robe raised one hand high in the air.

  “That’s the King of Knossos,” whispered Yannis.

  The crazy man took a step forward.

  A hush fell over the crowd.

  “He’s going to jump!” shouted Jeremy.

  Chapter Three

  The Crazy Man

  The man on the balcony took a step back.

  The crowd groaned.

  “He’s losing his nerve,” said Yannis.

  “He’s tried four times already,” said Demos. “All disasters. That kite doesn’t look any better than the last one.”

  “He told the King of Knossos that he can fly,” said Yannis. “The king has bragged all over Greece. He wants to be famous.”

  “If the crazy man fails,” said Demos, “he’ll be thrown in the maze.”

  The maze? thought Jeremy. Where had he heard that before?

  “Mazes are fun,” he said. “I’m good at doing mazes.”

  Demos and Yannis stared at him. “A maze might be fun,” said Demos, “but what about the mons—”

  Just then the crowd went, “OOOHHHHH!”

  And then, “AAAAHHHH!”

  “There he goes!” shouted Jeremy.

  Aristotle put his paws over his eyes. “I can’t look!”

  The crazy man leaped off the balcony.

  WHOOOOSH ! The blue kite dived toward the ground.

  The crowd gasped.

  WHIIIIZZZZZ ! A sudden gust of wind caught the kite, and it shot up. The crazy man waved bravely at the people below.

  “He’s flying!” yelled a boy in the crowd.

  The kite twisted and turned.

  It flipped and flopped.

  Then it drifted to the ground like a falling leaf.

  The crazy man landed at the foot of the King of Knossos in a jumble of broken kite sticks and tangled string.

  The king’s face turned purple. Jeremy held his breath.

  Then the king roared, “I’ll give you one more chance, Daedalus! ONE MORE CHANCE! Tomorrow at noon. Now back to your tower!”

  Jeremy’s heart jumped. The crazy man was Daedalus the inventor!

  “Wait!” Jeremy shouted. “Don’t go. I have to talk to you!”

  Jeremy pushed his way through the crowd. Daedalus was gathering up pieces of his smashed kite.

  Daedalus stared at Jeremy.

  The king stared at Jeremy. His eyes were like ice. “And who are you?” he said.

  Jeremy’s legs felt like jelly. He wanted to turn and run. But he had to save the Enchanted Theater.

  “Err...I’m Jeremy,” he stammered. “I traveled back in time three thousand years to get here...and Aristotle who lives in the Enchanted Theater came with me and—”

  “Spies!” said the king. “Trying to steal my invention!”

  A murmur ran through the crowd.

  “No, you’ve got it wrong,” said Jeremy. “There’s a riddle—”

  “GUARDS!” bellowed the king.

  “Run!” yelled Aristotle.

  Chapter Four

  Inside the Maze

  Jeremy raced after Aristotle.

  Footsteps pounded.

  Swords clanked.

  The King of Knossos bellowed, “Don’t let them get away!”

  “This way!” shouted Jeremy. Then he skidded to a stop. More guards were pouring out of the palace.

  Jeremy squeezed between the gaping spectators. He spun around. Where was Aristotle?

  He spotted a streak of orange disappearing through an open doorway in the palace wall.

  Behind him, the king yelled, “There they are! After the spies!”

  Jeremy dashed through the doorway.

  CRASH ! The huge wooden door slammed shut.

  CLANK ! Iron bolts slid across.

  Jeremy’s heart pounded. He was standing at the top of a narrow staircase. A strange bluish light glowed from the stone walls.

  “Pssst!” hissed a voice. “Down here!”

  Jeremy peered down the staircase. Aristotle was crouching in the shadows on the third step. His fur was ruffled.

  Jeremy looked back at the massive door. It would never budge. And besides, on the other side were the guards and the king.

  He took a big breath. “These stairs have to go somewhere,” he said.

  Down, down, down into the shadows crept Jeremy and Aristotle. The blue light lit their way.

  The stairs ended in a narrow tunnel.

  “We must be way under the palace by now,” said Jeremy.

  Just ahead of them, the tunnel branched in four different directions.

  “We’ll go left,” said Jeremy.

  But they had walked only a few steps when the tunnel branched again. This time it went in five directions.

  “This must be the maze,” said Jeremy. “I’m good at mazes.”

  Aristotle flicked his tail. “Mr. Magnus said something about the maze and the mons...I forget the rest.”

  “That’s what Demos said too.” Jeremy shrugged. “It probably wasn’t important.”

  He peered up one of the tunnels. It looked creepy. But he knew what he had to do. He dug in the backpack and took out the ball of wool.

  “Hold onto the end of the wool,” he told Aristotle. “If anyone opens the door, yank on the wool. I’ll keep walking and look for another way out.”

  Jeremy set off, unrolling the ball of wool as he walked. His eyes were getting used to the blue light. Every few minutes, the tunnel veered off in different direction
s.

  The maze was an eerie place. A rat scurried past Jeremy’s feet. Somewhere in the shadows water dripped. It was hard to keep going.

  Jeremy was almost glad when he came to the end of the wool. He started back, rolling it up as he went.

  Suddenly, the wool gave a jerk. It danced up and down.

  “Aristotle!” His heart racing, Jeremy ran around a bend.

  The wool lay in tangles around the cat. Aristotle batted a piece with his paw.

  “You were supposed to wait at the door!” said Jeremy. “And why have you tangled everything up?”

  “Because that’s what cats do with wool,” said Aristotle coldly. He flicked a strand of wool off his ear. “You were ages.”

  “We’re going back,” said Jeremy. “We’ll knock on the door until the king lets us out.”

  Jeremy freed Aristotle from the tangle of wool. He chanted out loud as they made their way back through the winding tunnels. “Right here...left... right...this is the way...left...right...almost there.”

  “Lucky for us that you’re good at mazes,” said Aristotle.

  “Left! No, right! No, left!” said Jeremy.

  He stopped. Someone had scratched a crooked arrow into the stone wall.

  “I never saw that before,” he said.

  “Or this,” said Aristotle. He picked up a long thin object. “It looks like a—”

  “Bone!” cried Jeremy. “Look! Bones! They’re everywhere!”

  At that moment, they heard a thundering blood-curdling roar.

  Chapter Five

  The Monster

  Jeremy and Aristotle froze.

  “We’ve got to get out of here,” hissed Aristotle.

  “Follow the arrow,” said Jeremy shakily. “Go left!”

  Jeremy and Aristotle crept along the tunnel. After a few minutes, they spotted a second arrow scratched into the stone.

  “Left again,” said Jeremy.

  And then, a moment later, “Left!”

  Jeremy stopped trembling. “I think we’re getting somewhere,” he said.

  He peered ahead. “Another arrow! Left again!”

  Jeremy started to run.

  “Another left!” he shouted.

  And then he skidded to a stop. He looked around.