Frankie was having a strange dream. In it, he was being chased around a marketplace by a giant clock that kept saying, ‘When are you going to solve the riddle?’ Then he heard Drew say, ‘I feel weird,’ and when he turned around he saw a giant hacky sack dressed in a toga. ‘Is it time to wake up yet?’ asked the hacky sack, in Drew’s voice.
With a start, Frankie woke up. The sky was still dark, but he could see a faint glimmer of pink light behind the trees. He sat up, rubbed his face and looked over to where Drew was sleeping against a tree. He looked like himself and not like a hacky sack, which was a relief.
Frankie frowned, remembering his crazy dream. Did it somehow contain the answer to the riddle?
‘What question can get a different answer whenever you ask it, but each answer is always correct?’ muttered Frankie to himself.
And then, from nowhere, the answer came to him. Of course!
‘What time is it?’ he cried in triumph.
Drew Bird opened one sleepy eye. ‘I don’t know,’ he grumbled, ‘but it’s too early to be waking me up, that’s for sure.’
‘No, that’s the answer to the riddle!’ exclaimed Frankie. ‘Every time you ask someone what time it is, you’ll get a different answer. But all those answers can be right.’
Drew nodded. ‘That makes sense,’ he yawned before adding, ‘now its time to go back to sleep.’
Grandad struggled to a sitting position, a rare grin on his face. ‘Ye cracked it, Frankie! Now help me up.’
Frankie and Drew hauled Grandad to his feet, a few stray olive pips rolling down his toga as they did so. ‘Right, lads,’ said Grandad, grabbing the suitcase. ‘Let’s go to the Academy straight away!’
They dashed up the tiled path to the entrance of the Academy just as the morning sun was starting to heat up.
Frankie was buzzing. Solving riddles or mathematical equations wasn’t exactly his strong point, which made working out this one feel especially good.
‘Is this how smart people feel all the time?’ he wondered aloud.
‘Maybe we are actually geniuses but we just don’t know it yet,’ mused Drew.
Frankie grinned at his best friend and banged twice on the large wooden door.
The door was opened by none other than that annoying brat, Alexi, which thrilled not one of the visitors. ‘Oh, cripes,’ Grandad muttered.
‘What may I do for you, peasants?’ Alexi asked snootily, looking up at them with his best I’m-Much-Older-And-Smarter-Than-You face.
The padlock buzzed to translate, but before anyone could answer, Cosmas arrived and swatted away Alexi. ‘How many times do you have to be told to scram?’ he said, glaring at him. Then he turned to Grandad, Frankie and Drew. ‘Ah, we meet again!’
‘We have returned to answer yer riddle,’ Grandad announced proudly. ‘My clever grandson here has worked it out.’
Frankie beamed. He wasn’t used to being called clever.
‘Oh, really?’ Cosmas responded. ‘And which riddle do you speak of? I’ve met many people, and given them many riddles.’
Frankie piped nervously. ‘What is the time?’
Cosmas looked up at the morning sun. ‘It is just past the hour of six,’ he said.
‘No, that’s not what I meant,’ Frankie said, his throat tightening with nerves. Suddenly he wasn’t so sure he was right after all. What if he was wrong and they never saw Lou again?!
‘That’s the answer to your riddle,’ he gulped. ‘The question that you can ask all day and get a different answer each time, but each one will still be correct …?’
Cosmas smirked at him, and let the answer hang in the air. ‘Well done!’ he said finally, and Frankie felt a rush of relief. ‘BUT,’ Cosmas went on, ‘we are not admitting any visitors today. Come back tomorrow.’ He began to shut the heavy door.
Frankie and Drew looked at each other in horror. ‘What?!’ they cried together.
But just as the door was scraping closed, Grandad yelled, ‘Sir! I have a riddle for ye!’
The door opened again and Cosmas looked out, his eyes bright with interest. ‘A riddle for me? Is it a nice, challenging one?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Grandad. ‘Very challenging.’ Frankie could see from his face that Grandad was desperately trying to think of something very smart and difficult to ask. ‘Ah … Why did the chicken cross the road?’ he said eventually.
Frankie groaned inwardly. That wasn’t even a riddle! But to his surprise, Cosmas looked intrigued. He stepped out of the doorway, caressing his cloud beard as he thought.
‘Hmm, why did the chicken cross the road?’ he mused. ‘What a strange but interesting riddle! And one I’ve never heard before.’
As the old philosopher began pacing, Grandad shot Frankie and Drew a look and jerked his head towards the door.
Frankie and Drew understood instantly. As soon as the old man had turned away, Frankie grabbed the suitcase and translating padlock; then he and Drew darted through the door and into the Academy.
Frankie hoped desperately that the next riddle was more straightforward: was Lou Fish here or not?
