The Island of Dr. Libris (19 page)

“Oh my,” said Pollyanna, stepping right up to the lizard. “I imagine you must be very glad to see all these square orange eggs.”

“It’ssss a trick!”

“A trick? Or is it a treat? It all depends on three little letters. Don’t you see? It’s ever so easy to turn a sad word into a glad one!”

The Space Lizard’s eyes bulged out of their sockets.

“Orange eggsssssssss!”

The maniac snagged an orange square out of the air and wolfed it down in three quick chomps.

“Orange eggsssssssss!”

He grabbed another.

And another.

As the monster munched, Billy heard the kind of gurgly sounds a straw makes when someone sucks up the bottom of a milk shake.

“Close your eyes,” Farkas said to Pollyanna. “This Space Lizard is about to blow!”

Down went peanut butter cracker number eight. The Space Lizard’s head inflated like a water balloon connected to a garden hose.

“This next part is awesome,” said Farkas.

“Goodness,” said Pollyanna. “What happens?”

“His head, his whole body—everything goes
KERPLOOEY
! Duck!”

Farkas yanked Pollyanna to the ground. Billy and Walter covered their heads.

BA-BOOM!

There was a humongous explosion.

Slimy chunks of lizard gristle flew in all directions. So did soggy wads of orange gunk and gobs of regurgitated peanut butter. Pollyanna and Farkas, who were the closest to the blast, were both splattered with dribbling globules of goop.

The Space Lizard had definitely been annihilated.

“Well, I’m very glad
he’s
gone,” said Pollyanna, daintily wiping cheesy slime off her ruffled blouse. “Thank you for your kind assistance.” She popped up on her toes to kiss Farkas on the cheek.

His face turned purple.

“Um, uh,” he stammered. “Is there anything else I can do for you, Miss, uh—?”

“Pollyanna.”

“Yes,” said Billy. “There is.”

With the Space Lizard gone, it was time for Billy to concentrate on the most important thing he needed to fix.

He turned to Walter.

“We need a spell to erase Farkas’s memory of what just happened.”

“On it!”

Walter pulled out his stack of Magical Battical cards.

“Found a Memory Mop spell card,” Walter reported.

“Good. Read it.”

Walter started mumbling.

Billy went over to Pollyanna and Farkas, who was glaring at him.

“I wasn’t asking if
you
needed anything, Weedpole,” he said through teeth clenched in a smile. “I was asking
her.
”

“Well,” said Billy, “I bet what Pollyanna really needs
on a hot summer night like this is a big bowl of chocolate chip ice cream.”

“Golly!” she gushed. “It’s not even Sunday and you have ice cream?”

“Yeah,” said Farkas. “Back at my house. Want some?”

“Why, of course I do. I don’t see how anybody can help wanting ice cream!”

“Wait here,” said Farkas. “I’ll bring some back.”

He ran across the field.

A sparkling pinwheel of fireflies flew after him.

“That’s my Memory Mop!” reported Walter.

“Excellent,” said Billy. “Let’s follow Farkas down to the shore. Make sure the spell card works. Good night, Pollyanna!”

He and Walter raced to the gate and down the trail and made it back to the shoreline just in time to hear Farkas say, “What the heck am I doing on this stupid island in the middle of the stupid night?”

Then he fired up his Jet Ski and zoomed home across the lake.

“Woo-hoo!” said Walter. “This thing is going to work.”

“Yeah,” said Billy.

“However, I do see one slight problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Farkas took his Jet Ski. How, exactly, are we getting home?”

Billy grinned. “In the boat my parents are about to row over here. Come on. It’s time for the main event.”

He led the way back to the clearing and H. G. Wells’s time machine.

“I’ll put the blueberry pie on this shelf underneath the control dials.”

“You hungry?” asked Walter.

“No.”

“We probably should’ve packed a snack. Something besides peanut butter crackers. I may never eat those again.”

“Walter?”

“Yeah?”

“This pie is for my mom and dad. I’m sending them back fifteen years to when they first fell in love. If there’s any pie left when they come back from the past, I’m sure they’ll be happy to share it with us.”

“I hope so. Hey, you know what?” Walter fumbled through his deck of cards. “We should have the Junior Wizard seek out a love potion—something to make certain your parents
stay
in love. Forever!”

“Good idea,” said Billy.

As if on command, the Junior Wizard appeared at the shadowy edge of the forest.

“We need a love potion,” declared Walter in his best wizard voice. “Go forth and find it!”

The Junior Wizard shot through the underbrush like a crazy comet.

“It’ll probably take him out of the game for a little while,” said Walter. “Seeking usually does.”

“Okay. You’re up next.”

“What do I need to do?”

“Call my dad. Tell him I fell off a cliff and sprained my ankle. You need my mom and dad to help you rescue me.”

“Cool.”

“One of our iPhones should go in the time machine.”

“What for?”

“We’ll set a ‘reminder’ alarm for half an hour from now. It’ll tell Mom and Dad it’s time to come back to the present.”

“Here,” said Walter. “Use mine.”

“Thanks.”

Billy typed in the instructions:
PUSH THE LEVER FORWARD
. He set the alarm. Then he adjusted the dials on the time machine to display the current date and the same summer day fifteen years in the past.

Billy tapped in his dad’s cell number and handed his iPhone to Walter.

They both listened as the phone rang. And rang. And rang.

“He’s not answering!”

“Give him a minute,” Billy whispered. “He’s asleep.”

After two more
BRRRR
s, Billy heard his father’s groggy voice. “Hello?”

“Hi. Mr. Gillfoyle? This is Walter Andrews. I live in the cabin next to Mrs. Gillfoyle’s.”

“Right. Billy’s new friend.”

“Yes, sir. That’s why I’m calling!” Walter started
sobbing. Billy was impressed. Walter was an excellent actor. “This is so horrible, sir. Horrible!”

“What’s wrong?” Billy’s father sounded much more awake now.

“Well, sir, Billy and I were hiking and Billy fell off the cliff!”

“Oooh!” Billy moaned, cupping his hands around his mouth to make it sound like he was far away. “Owww!”

“That’s him,” said Walter. “I think he sprained his ankle.”

“Where are you, Walter?” Billy’s dad asked urgently.

“On the island in the middle of the lake.”

“Walter … will meet you … in the first meadow,” Billy called out in fake agony. “Just past … the gate!”

“Tell Billy to hang on,” said his father. “I’m on my way.”

“Bring … Mom!” hollered Billy, giving “Mom” a little echo effect.

“He wants his mother, sir,” said Walter.

“Of course. Tell him his mother and I are on our way.”

“You did great!” Billy said to Walter.

“Thanks. Now what?”

“This is the hardest part of the whole thing. Somehow, we have to convince my mom and dad to climb into the time machine.”

“So what are you going to say?”

“I can’t say anything. I’m not even here. I fell off a cliff, remember?”

“Oh. Right. So what am
I
going to say?”

Billy stroked his chin and thought hard.

“I don’t know. We need some kind of obedience potion or something.”

Walter tore the rubber band off his stack of cards.

“The Master Wizard can do it. She can do just about anything!” Walter read from the card. “ ‘The Master Wizard is a master of all things magical.’ ”

An elegant wizard dressed in a shimmering cape stepped into the clearing. Her hair was silver, like Fourth of July sparklers, her eyes emerald green.

“Omigosh,” said Walter. “It’s her!”

“What magic do you require?”

“Can you cast a spell on my parents to make them do exactly what we tell them to do?” said Billy.

“Your parents?”

“Yeah. It’s really important.”

“Tricky. Parents seldom listen to children.”

“Just this once?” said Billy. “And only one command.” He held up his right hand. “I promise.”

The Master Wizard looked deep into Billy’s eyes. “Very well. What magic do you require?”

“Well, when my friend Walter tells my mom and dad to sit on that contraption and pull back on the lever, can you make sure they do it?”

She bowed sharply. “Your wish is my command.”

In a flash, the Master Wizard dissolved into a glittering fog and drifted over to the time machine, where she blended in with the moonlight glinting off the brass rails.

“Okay,” said Billy, “the second Mom and Dad pull back on the lever, they should fly back into the past.”

“Perfect,” said Walter. “And when they come back, the Junior Wizard will be here with his everlasting-love potion!”

“Yup.”

“Man, you have to work in a lot of details when you make up your own story, huh?”

“Tell me about it.”

In the distance, they heard someone approaching. Leaves and twigs crunched underfoot. Flashlight beams swung through the trees.

“Walter?” shouted Billy’s dad.

“Where are you?” cried Billy’s mom.

“You’re on,” Billy said to Walter. He dashed off to hide behind the nearest tree.

“This is all my fault,” Billy heard his father say.

“I guess we both could’ve handled this thing a whole lot better,” said his mom.

The two of them were following Walter across the open field toward the time machine.

“Where is he?” asked Billy’s dad.

Walter pointed toward the shadow of the mountain looming on the horizon.

“Up there. And, uh, I think the fastest way for you guys to reach him would be to climb into that sled thing and pull down on that ivory-handled lever.”

Billy peeked around his tree trunk.

His mom and dad were staring at Walter.

“Really?” said his dad.

“Yes, sir,” said Walter.

Then Billy heard a wind chime go
TINKLE-TINKLE-GLING-GLING.

“Okay,” said Billy’s dad.

“Good idea,” said his mom.

And the two of them climbed into the time machine.

“Is that pie down there?” said Billy’s mom.

“Looks like blueberry,” said his dad as he reached out, grabbed hold of the lever, and yanked it back.

Wind rustled through the trees. The time machine suddenly swung around and around, faster and faster, until it became first a whirling blur and then ghostly streaks of faintly glittering brass and ivory.

WHOOSH!

It vanished.

Billy left his hiding place.

“Amazing!” hollered Walter. “We totally blasted your mom and dad into the past.”

Billy glanced at the clock on his iPhone.

“Okay. They’re young again. Eating blueberry pie. Falling in love. Maybe kissing and junk.”

“I am so glad we’re not there to see
that
,” said Walter.

“Yeah. Now let’s hope the Junior Wizard makes it back in time with the—”

Before Billy could say “love potion,” the Junior Wizard bounded out of the bushes holding a bright purple bottle.

“Is that it?” blurted Walter. “How’s it work?”

The Junior Wizard started to say something.

But he froze. His whole body sputtered. His pointy hat went jittery. His limbs stuttered back and forth like he was trapped inside a scratched DVD.

And like the time machine, he vanished.

“Billy?” said Walter. “What just happened?”

“I don’t know.”

“I shut down the Theta Receptors,” someone said in a deep voice.

A tall man in a white lab coat emerged from the forest. The man’s sleek silver hair was neatly parted and plastered to the side. His eyes were intense behind thick black-rimmed glasses.

“Who are you?” said Billy, retreating a step or two.

“That’s Dr. Libris!” said Walter.